#( break his cocky ass arm violet )

[ratleaderr]

Making space for them to sit.

unspoken fluff.

//  ➴ ➴ ➴ 

      ❝   –    ah.                the long awaited rematch.    ❞  not often, few and far between the LEADER lets the role drop, and rather than locked away in his office for the rest of the evening with his dinner brought up.    he sits with his people, his friends for an evening of long needed laughter.   well, FRIEND might be a little too strong to use for violet, the two not always seen eye-to-eye, and often left them with uneasy air like a cat and dog facing off.    and what best way to rid that negative energy?   

     ❝   –    i would be lying if i said i wasn’t looking forward                  to this, and i did promise willy my bowl when i win                   this arm wrestle battle.   ❞

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

bullseye, m | jjk

pairing(s): jungkook x reader

summary: Are you the insufferable, cocky, absolutely-no-good-for-anyone female equivalent of a fuckboy? Maybe. Okay, yeah. But guess who decided to come along and interrupt your conquests? Jeon Jungkook. What now? Complain to your best friend Kim Taehyung all day or fucking do something about it?

warnings: rated M (18+) for language; alcohol consumption; Taehyung getting shitfaced lol; you're a cocky asshole and so is Jungkook, welp; schemes; smut (fem reader, making out / dry humping in public, cowgirl, m-masturbation, edging / orgasm denial, penetrative sex, so much kissing); non-idol!BTS; (secretly pining) fuckboy!Jungkook x bisexual, fuckgirl!reader; ft artist, best friend!Taehyung; mostly reader's POV with a short JK's POV

yes, it's purple-haired Butter JK

--

now playing – 마.피.아. in the morning by itzy

“Are you kidding me? Fucking Jeon Jungkook, again?”

“You need to calm down,” Kim Taehyung said, patting your shoulder and handing you a mojito.

“What I need is a fucking bow and arrow to shoot down this fucking pest!”

“I know you were the archery champion in high school, but that’s still a weird thing to think,” replied that baritone voice, pushing you into a chair so he could sit down as well, observing you violently chugging down the entire mojito in your rage. He seemed highly amused, looking a bit like a young French socialite in a black beret, loose tan dress shirt, and black slacks with black loafers. Gold accents because Kim Taehyung was that bitch. “Never ceases to impress me that you can do that.”

You pulled the glass from your lips, ice and mint clinking. “This is the third girl I’ve been dating that he’s just–” You flapped a hand in the general direction of the crowd at the bar, completely ignoring Taehyung’s comment about your record-breaking skills of draining cocktails. “–unashamedly making out with when clearly I’m right here.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, far too crass for how drop-dead handsome he was, but it seemed that he didn’t care. “I doubt he knows you’re here or that you’re dating them. And to make it fair on him, you were casually dating them all at once, so technically, no one is at fault here,” he added.

You narrowed your eyes. “I wasn’t–”

Taehyung gave you this look.

The look of ‘shut-up-you-know-I’m-right’.

Being your best friend, he had a right to do that.

“Shouldn’t you be mad at the girl anyway? Being faithful and all that, which, by the way, you are not.”

“Dating is not the same as being in a relationship,” you argued.

“Mmm, so fucking them is not indicative enough that you should be less of a fuckboy.”

“I’m not a fuckboy,” you muttered. “I’m a woman.”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “The general term still stands because you’re a class-A asshole.”

You closed your eyes and sucked in a deep breath, trying not to bolt home and buy a bow and arrow online to shoot, not Jeon Jungkook, but Kim Taehyung, because he was testing your last nerve with the truth.

“Again, why are you not mad at them?” Taehyung reoriented the conversation with a sweep of his arm when you opened your eyes, prompting your gaze to shift and witness Jeon Jungkook with his tongue down a pretty girl’s throat. This cheeky bastard was even wearing a leather jacket and white shirt, just like you. The only difference was that you wore a leather miniskirt and he wore black jeans with rips in the thighs, but both of you were wearing heeled black moto-style boots.

“Because he’s the denominator in this equation,” you snapped, smacking your glass on the table.

“Please do not make math references. My brain is not made for that.”

“Fractions? Tae, seriously, are you defective or–”

“Maybe he’s doing it to piss you off.”

“Well, I am pissed off!”

The bar was very loud with music and noise. Your shout was still clearly heard. Neither you or Taehyung seemed to care that people turned to look at you two and shake their heads.

Taehyung shrugged. “Then he succeeded.”

You clicked your tongue. “Why, though? I didn’t do anything to him. He just started popping up stealing my girls. What if I switch back to chasing dick and he takes them too?”

Taehyung snorted. “I doubt it. You’re just continuing on this train because you’re stubborn.”

As usual, he saw right through you.

He raised an elegant hand and tapped his lips. “Maybe he likes you.”

You gave Taehyung the most disbelieving, fiery, indignant look that you had ever produced in your life.

“Or, he doesn’t,” he hastily corrected. “Let’s face it, sometimes I don’t even like you and I would murder for your dumb ass.”

You tapped the melting glass of icy mint onto the tabletop.

Menacingly.

“If you think about it,” Taehyung began tentatively, scooting his chair slightly away from you with your flaming eyes boring holes in the back of Jeon Jungkook’s head. His hair was dark violet now so you could spot him easily, pinning your (not yours, but you know, that was your prey at one point) girl against the back wall of the bar. “He always goes after your target. He wants you to notice something.”

You watched a YouTube video once about making your own bow and arrow. It didn’t seem that difficult, all things considered. Sharpening a long stick with a knife and–

“Stop thinking about murder.”

You jerked your head back to Taehyung and his honey-brown curls framing his amused expression. You glared in response.

“I’ve never interacted with him a day in my life,” you frowned, abandoning your homicidal tendencies for the moment. “What does he want me to notice?”

Taehyung gave you a pained look. You returned with a black stare. Then he sighed and shook his head.

“He’s a fuckboy. You’re the female equivalent of a fuckboy. What do you think he wants?”

“My body count?”

Taehyung slapped his own face, muttering under his breath. “… be part of your body count.”

“Sorry, what?” You raised your voice over the bass. “Can’t hear you over the music.”

He raised his head. “I don’t know. Fight him. See what happens.”

“I’m not gonna win a fistfight.”

Taehyung looked ready to fistfight you.

You stood up, dragging him by the arm. “Come on, wingman. I need another drink. I’ll buy, since you got me the last one.”

Taehyung laughed, loud and full, yanking his arm out of your grip and clapping a hand around your shoulders, pulling you to him so your body knocked into him. You grimaced, now forced to walk side by side with him, not seeing the looks shared between the patrons witnessing you two together.

“Now we’re talking. I wanna get trashed.”

“Cure for a broken heart, am I right?”

“Mine’s shattered,” Taehyung chuckled, rubbing the left side of his chest playfully, but you couldn’t help but notice the hurt in his eyes. It was his idea to go out tonight and assist you with getting laid but, one, you didn’t need assistance and, two, he had recently broken up. It was pretty obvious he just wanted you to buy him drinks and have an excuse to do something.

Which was fine with you, until Jeon Jungkook showed up holding your previous eye candy.

Hmph.

Whatever, you had a Taehyung to nurse back to health with an obscene amount of alcohol.

-

Two hours later, you were standing in the men’s bathroom, holding Taehyung’s beret with one hand and his hair in the other as he vomited loudly into the toilet.

“Sup.”

The guy looked in the stall and then looked at you.

“You’re not supposed to be here…”

You raised an eyebrow. “You wanna hold his hair?”

The guy slunk away at your dismissive tone.

Taehyung tapped your thigh and you patted him on the head soothingly. He flushed and coughed.

"S... sorry," he croaked wetly.

You chuckled. "Wash your mouth, ya nasty."

He got up and you straightened his clothes in an almost maternal fashion.

"Need water, I think..." he winced, stumbling past you to the counter. You followed him to make sure he didn't hurl in the fucking sink.

"I'll be right back. Don't do anything crazy."

"Heh, that’s you," he slurred as he put his hands under the tap to wash up.

You plopped his beret on your head and sauntered out of the men's bathroom, unbothered by the stares and the people trying to catch your eye. It took you no time at all to waltz to the counter and obtain the water, striding back to the men's bathroom with the tall glass.

Only to run into you-know-who.

The girl sputtered your name in surprise as if she hadn't met you in this very bar a couple of weeks ago.

You completely ignored her existence, narrowing your eyes at the smirking face of Jeon Jungkook.

There was no denying his attractiveness. His purple hair was a little messy now, curling around his high cheekbones and large brown eyes. The dim light of the bar cast strange shadows over his chiseled jaw and shapely lips, curved into a devilish grin. He had a mole and red lipstick residue underneath his lower lip.

You had a strong urge to douse him and his leather jacket with your giant glass of water.

Taehyung was the one who found out Jungkook's name for you. You sent him on the mission after the first time this little shit started meddling in your business.

At this moment, you remembered that.

You pointedly looked away, walking past Jungkook, knocking into his arm forcefully and on purpose, annoyed that he seemed pretty strong under that jacket, muscular and lean. Whatever. You had a large bear cub named Kim Taehyung to take care of. You didn't have time to waste on Jeon Jungkook.

"Hey."

You stiffened at the deep, silvery voice. Of course. He had to have a sexy voice too. Bitch.

"You should apologize."

Your eyes flickered to the glass of water. It was pretty cold in your hand. You raised your chin back up, facing towards the bathrooms.

The choice was easy.

You continued waking and raised your free hand to flip Jeon Jungkook the bird, off to deliver the water to your best friend.

Some guy at the urinal screamed as you entered the men's bathroom but you completely ignored him, only focusing on Taehyung, who was gripping the corner of the sink, turning not to pass out, pallid face dripping and looking green.

"Drink this and I'll take you home."

-

"Ugh, thanks for the other day... sorry I wasn't the best wingman... I ended up making you exorcize my demons instead..."

You laughed, jabbing a toothpick in the steaming fried chicken. You and Kim Taehyung again, hanging out in the afternoon at the local chicken spot.

"It's cool. I know you needed it."

Taehyung frowned. "If you knew, why did you play along?"

You shrugged. "You would've done the same for me."

He smiled and popped a piece of crispy chicken in his mouth. "Yeah, if you ever had a serious relationship for once."

You glared. "This is a non-judgment zone. Shut up."

He chuckled. Then he leaned in and you grimaced, catching a whiff of his chicken breath. He was wearing a pinstriped shirt and neglected to button the first two because he was too hot to bother with some stupid buttons. You weren't going to say you could relate, but you were wearing a loose black sweater dress that was bordering on flashing your panties, so, maybe.

"I heard from a little birdie that you had a run-in with the bane of your existence."

You raised an eyebrow. "The tax man?"

Taehyung rolled his eyes. "No, the other one."

Now it was your turn to roll yours. "Oh, right. The Dark Lord."

Taehyung gave you a weird look. "Is that a movie reference or..."

"Harry Potter, ever heard of it?"

"You're such a nerd."

"That's not... anyway, so what?"

He wiggled his eyebrows. "He spoke to you."

You narrowed your eyes. "Where do you get your information?"

He fidgeted. "Uh... a reliable source that chooses to remain anonymous."

Your eyes became slits. "Who."

Taehyung stick his tongue out at you. "The whole point of anonymous is you not knowing!"

"Who are you, fucking Rita Skeeter–"

"Stop with the weird references!"

"For fuck's sake," you hissed, causing a mother sitting at a table near yours to chastise you, covering their kid’s ears. You frowned, lowering your voice. "Alright so what? He opened his mouth; nothing original came out." You jabbed another piece of chicken.

"Well? Feel any tension? Sweet romance? Unbridled fury?" Taehyung piped, greatly interested in your two-second interaction with Jeon Jungkook.

You chewed, huffing. "I had a big kid to take care of. I didn't give a shit."

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" he shot back.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you’re more important to me than poking his pretty eyeballs out of his head, so I didn't even reply."

Taehyung paused, mid-chew. "Really?"

"Yes, I didn't say–"

"No, that I'm important to you."

Taehyung was doing that thing where his big brown eyes went all sparkly and sentimental. It was making you uncomfortable. Bad with feelings and all that. The only reason you tolerated it was because Taehyung had been like this ever since he was that dorky weird kid you defended from bullies in elementary school. A folding chair was involved and you might have watched too many WWE TLC (tables, ladders, chairs) matches as a kid, but hey, those bullies didn’t bother Taehyung ever again, did they?

You got sent to detention for the rest of the year and anger management counseling appointments, but Taehyung remained your friend throughout the whole ordeal and for years to come, tolerating your poor life choices so… worth?

You reached over and shut his open mouth. "Of course, you are, that's why I'm not calling you a disgusting pig for chewing with your mouth open."

"Oi, that's bullying!"

"You bully me all the time," you snorted and the same mom made a noise of distaste that you pretended not to hear. "Like now you keep bringing up the spawn of Satan."

"You're also the spawn of Satan, by the way."

"Yeah, and you're my guardian angel and he ain't got shit, so I’ve already won this war."

Taehyung laughed nervously.

"Er, yes... totally..."

-

Another day, another conquest.

Well, you had to find the prey first, but that wasn’t going to be hard.

“You’re a chronic asshole.”

“Thanks, Tae. You sure you don’t wanna come?”

He rolled his eyes at you as you shrugged on one of his black dress shirts. You checked the tag. Silk. Damn. Kim Taehyung was a fancy bitch. He leaned against the closet doorframe as you fitted your black leather corset-style belt at your waist to cinch it in. You often raided Taehyung’s closet and paired it with your accessories. Did he enjoy your fucking in his clothes? Probably not, but you always returned them cleaned in the proper way, so he couldn’t complain.

He did anyway.

“No, I don’t. Let me sulk.”

“Ah, yes, moody starving artist, I’ll let you be,” you snickered, slinging the waist bag over your shoulder, wearing it across your chest instead of your hips. You lightly punched him in the arm and he pretended to topple over exaggeratedly. “You going to paint today?”

He shrugged. “I think. Dunno what media I want to use.”

“Just use a bunch of different ones. Your mixed media stuff is amazing,” you replied, waltzing out of his bedroom, past his messy studio with a blank canvas balanced on a wooden easel in the center of absolute chaos of paints. You helped him organize them once, but Taehyung often was too in the zone to pay attention to neatness.

“When’s the exhibit? I want to drop by,” you commented, seeing the line of his works safely wrapped up, leaning against the wall.

“Um… next week, Thursday through Sunday,” Taehyung replied sheepishly, cheeks flaring red at the mention of his own art exhibit. He was humble even though he was talented. “I’ll text you the address. Don’t show up looking like a high-paid escort.”

You tucked your feet into your heels and raised an eyebrow.

Silk black men’s shirt worn as a dress, belted at the waist to show off your curves, bare legs out, toned calves standing out due to your sleek black high heels.

“Who, me? Never.”

Taehyung shook his head. “Text me if you need a ride.”

“You got it.”

-

“You have got to be kidding me.”

You tapped your nails on the bar, having already finished your peach mojito.

“Fucking Jeon Jungkook, again?”

You needed to invest in a bow and arrow, like, yesterday.

Shoot right between his pretty eyeballs. Dude even pulled back his long, deep purple hair into a smooth ponytail with wispy strands framing his sculpted face. Was that damn eyeliner and mascara making his eyes look sharper, sexier? Fuck, he even knew how to make himself look even hotter.

Not as hot as you, of course.

“How does he always know where I’m at?” you muttered under your breath, turning away to look at the bartender and order another mojito. Watermelon. It seemed interesting. Fuck it, you were going to focus on drinking rather than the thorn in your side, Jeon Jungkook and his black dress shirt halfway buttoned and his tight-fitting black slacks with sleek oxfords. The bartender slid your glass in front of you, a gradient of pink to transparent with a little sprig of mint on top. It was a pretty drink.

You reached into your waist bag to pay, but the bartender stopped you.

“The gentleman over there paid for you. A gift.”

Oh? Maybe a potential for the night. You shifted your gaze to–

Oh.

“Tell him to fu–”

But the bartender was already off servicing other customers on this busy night.

Shit.

You know what? Fine. He put himself up as the target. He wanted to play this game.

And you never missed a bullseye.

You tilted your head to survey Jeon Jungkook out of the corner of your eye, making his way over to you, bringing your drink close to your lips. He stopped right next to you. The colorful lights of the club made rainbows dance across his lightly tanned skin and his dark lips, curled into a smug smirk.

“Hey.”

You cocked an eyebrow.

Drank.

Mmm, fuck, that was some deliciously smooth rum. The watermelon was a refreshing addition to the mint too. You probably weren’t meant to drink it all at once, but you were glaring at Jungkook who was pointedly watching your throat swallow and it was aggravating you more and more, the entire drink disappearing in record time, leaving nothing but ice and mint.

You smacked the glass down on this table with a hiss.

Jungkook purred your name with that deep, silvery voice of his. His eyes flickered down to your exposed collarbones and then back up to your face.

You clicked your tongue.

Then you turned away from him dismissively, walking past him, knocking into his arm forcefully and on purpose.

But instead of letting it happen, Jungkook shifted his weight and slid to block your path. You stopped, eyes darting up to narrow at that conceited little brat’s face. Now you could smell his cologne, fresh, sensual, a mix of pungent dragon fruit and black coffee.

Hold on.

You inhaled. Yup, no mistaking it.

That was your perfume.

Jungkook grinned as the realization hit you. How did he know what perfume you used?

“The fuck you want?” you growled.

He licked his lips slowly. He ticked his chin, taunting you.

“Finally got you to talk to me,” he purred, chuckling.

Alright, you were past causing actual bodily harm these days – jail being your primary reason – but that didn’t stop you from staring down Jeon Jungkook and his self-satisfied smirk with your signature tapering of your sharp stare.

You just stood there.

Menacingly.

He bit his lower lip, exposing that tiny mole underneath, shivering under your gaze. “Are you mad at me?” he asked, almost innocently, but there was no chance in hell that he was.

You quirked your head, lifting your chin defiantly. “Absolutely fuming,” you replied acidly.

He took a step towards you, closing the distance, so close you could feel his warmth, your breasts brushing against his chest. Now people were whispering around you two, sensing the tension between you and Jungkook. The similar outfits, the same violent energy, the same predatory aura.

As if the fox had confronted the wolf.

“What’s there to be mad about when we play the same game?” Jungkook drawled.

Cocky. The fox was so damn cocky.

“You’re just nibbling on my leftovers,” you countered, stepping forward so you pressed against him, burning body heat to burning body heat. “Which makes you the scavenger.”

Jungkook leaned down, dark brown eyes glittering with amusement.

“Then why so angry?”

His lips ghosted over yours, breathing in your exhale.

“I’m just a pest, right? A mere annoyance in your eventual victory.”

His lashes lowered, arrogant smirk reaching his dark eyes.

“Play your ace. Let’s see if it works,” he purred in the deep, sexy octave of his.

Shut up.

A low snarl rumbled in your chest.

“Shut up, Jeon Jungkook.”

You gripped his belt and yanked him to your body, rolling your crotch into his, your lips colliding with that maddening smirk, alcohol, dragon fruit, black coffee, flint igniting the dry wood, devouring his lips hungrily, his hands sliding up your sides, and his smile.

Triumph.

-

Shit.

-

You couldn’t give two fucks about Jeon Jungkook and he was into it.

Like the impossible enigma, he couldn’t figure you out but he was drawn to you anyway. The whole world was your plaything, and you treated it as such. There was something exciting about you, the thrill too irresistible to avoid when you made your presence known. Always you and that teasing smile, never getting serious, making everyone hesitate to take it farther with you. Who could blame them with your borderline brash attitude and ease of moving from one to the next?

That and your friendship with Kim Taehyung, who was a whole damn tiger next to your wolfish nature.

At first, Jungkook was intrigued.

As time went on, he became frustrated and annoyed.

What gave you the right to ignore him?

You picked up guys far less attractive than he was, not that he was that vain but, seriously, he was right here! Waiting to be caught. He didn’t try to interfere at first. In fact, Jungkook wasn’t even the sleep-around-and-mess-with-feelings kind of guy. But the more he watched you, the more impressed he was, seeing the way you charmed your way into everyone’s hearts, the way you focused on them for that moment, making them feel like they were the most perfect creature on Earth before slinking to the next, leaving them with a pining heart and lost in fantasies of what-ifs.

And, yeah, you were hot.

What was Jungkook going to do?

He could do nothing.

Or he could befriend Kim Taehyung, get under your skin, and make you notice him.

Not a scheme, per se.

Kind of a scheme.

Alright, definitely a scheme.

In Jungkook’s defense, your best friend Taehyung was all for it. Taehyung was the one who came up with all the ideas, informed him of your location, and the names of the girls you were after.

“Give her a taste of her own medicine. She needs a reality check.”

The problem was, Jungkook didn’t really want to let you go now that you were in his arms.

-

“Silly pretty boy.”

You had his chin in your palm, pressing your thumb against Jungkook’s lower lip, opening his hungry mouth to tease him with your tongue, tracing his soft lips and thrusting in, his low moan filling your lungs. His hands on your waist tightened, pulling you closer even through you were already in his lap, murmurs and eyes on you, but neither your nor Jungkook cared, used to this by now.

You were, after all, making out in the club.

The chair scraped against the ground as Jungkook firmly placed your thighs on either side of his, thrusting upwards into your core, letting your feel his rapidly growing hardness with every one of your kisses. Your hair feathered his cheeks and shoulders as your free hand toyed with his ponytail, twirling it in your fingers, smirking into his lips with his gasp from you grinding back down on his crotch, rolling your hips into him.

“Thought I was the bane of your existence?” Jungkook taunted under you, squeezing your ass through the silk and meeting your movements, staring into your eyes with his. So dark, so smokey, so fucking sexy, almost like looking into a mirror, because you too wore similar makeup, maybe a little darker and a little more of a flick to your eyeliner. “Just going to kiss me to shut me up?”

You wouldn’t be surprised if the other clubgoers were eagerly watching now, waiting to see what was going to happen between you and him.

“I don’t need to be on your mouth to shut you up,” you mused, tugging his ponytail back and kissing down his neck, tongue tracing the contours of his muscles, feeling him shudder under your lips and teeth, lightly nipping at his skin. Tracing circles, gentle kisses, relishing in his gasps and his tightened grip on you, letting your breath linger for that extra second, that extra what-if, kissing back up his neck and onto his jawline, murmuring his name sweetly, tip of your tongue curling around his earrings and bouncing them, sighing softly in his ear.

“Can’t claim my leftovers when my leftovers are you, now can you, naughty boy?” you chuckled darkly, pressing your breasts on his hot chest and your clothed pussy on the tip of his stiff length, rutting against it, making him hiss your name.

“I have no intention of being leftovers,” he growled into your ear.

Your eyes flew open as his lips transfixed to the space under your ear, sucking hard, forcing you to squeeze your thighs at the attack on your erogenous zone, sparks of arousal flinching through you, soaking your panties. You gasped, hips bucking into his needily, barely processing his words, his tongue flicking against your throbbing skin, lips and teeth, and then his mouth was moving, traveling up your earlobe, nipping at the curve, your eyelids fluttering, clutching his purple ponytail tightly.

How did he know? Did he ask your previous conquests to spill the information? There was no time to think, his hands traveling up your back, clenching fistfuls of your shirt and digging his nails into your back, your body responding and squirming against him, the quiet whine of his name escaping your lips and drifting right into his ear.

“J… Jungkook…”

He groaned, turning your head forcefully, him kissing you this time, just as ravenous, just as powerful, basically simulating sex in the middle of the fucking club with the way your hips were twisting into his and he was thrusting back against you, breathless, whispering in your mouth so only you could hear his words resonate in your chest.

“Fuck, you’re so hot, you turn me on so fucking easily, I just have to have you,” he murmured, his forehead pressed against yours, capturing your lips again and again. “There’s no way you’re any good for me, but I don’t care, fuck.”

You snickered, eye to eye, trapped in those expanding pupils and his heavy pants. “They say the same about you, Jeon Jungkook.”

You felt him smirk. “Nah, not me. No one calls me the spawn of Satan.”

You raised an eyebrow. “You sure? Because I do.”

Jungkook’s tongue licked your lips, making your shiver in delight. “That was special treatment. Just for you.”

Hold on a second.

Through your hazy buzzed brain, you began to piece the puzzle together. With each part falling into place, the amusement in Jungkook’s eyes grew and grew, seeing you fill in the missing blanks. Your eyes widened and you curled a finger around his ponytail, yanking roughly to pull his grinning face away from yours. You jerked back, but his strong hands held you in place.

Wispy strands of violet framing that devious expression.

“Taehyung,” you breathed, venomous.

Jungkook had the audacity to cock an eyebrow.

“Yep.”

You were going to kill Taehyung. That little shit! Taehyung was no idiot, so he must have planned this somehow. He always telling you to get serious and stop messing around. That’s why Jungkook always knew who you were dating, where you were, and what you were wearing! Did Taehyung recruit Jeon Jungkook to trick you? Fuck! He was dead meat, scheming against you like this!

Jungkook brought you out of your homicidal tendencies with a soft drawl of your name.

“For the record, he was helping me out,” he murmured, pulling you to him, pressing your chest to his. You narrowed your eyes, his hard cock still throbbing against your panties. “I want you.”

He lowered his face, breathing hard.

“Not just like this.”

Your eyes widened.

“I said I’m not going to be leftovers.” Looking deep into your eyes, holding you tightly. “I’m not going to let you throw me away like the rest.” Every inhale making your body rise into his touch, his deep, silvery voice saturated with lust and determination. “I’m going to make you fall in love with me as much as I am in love with you.”

You opened your mouth to retort, but…

Jungkook gave you this look.

The look of ‘you-know-you’ve-already-lost’.

You could sit here and pretend, but you were also grinding back onto his dick right out here in the open, clutching his purple hair and his pretty face. His hard body was tucked snugly in your thighs. That smug little smirk. Shit, shit, shit.

Jeon Jungkook got you and he got you good.

He knew it too, his hands sliding down and grabbing your ass again, rolling his hips into yours.

“Come on. Let’s fuck.”

-

“Oh, fuck, yes, yes, yes!”

Jungkook threw his head back onto his pillows, exposing his straining throat, veins popping out, clutching your hips strongly to rut back against you as you smacked your crotch down onto him, riding him hard and fast, your hands next to his head, his long purple hair a mess even if it was still in the ponytail, sweat glistening on his forehead, moaning loudly with your walls closing in on his hardness. You were too busy fucking the daylights out of him to say anything, but Jungkook had plenty to say, hazy eyes opening and gasping as he viewed your body hovering over him, naked with his hickeys on your neck and breasts, strong thighs flexed on either side of him, his rock-hard cock repeatedly disappearing into your tight, wet hole.

“Fuck, I knew it, I knew you would be so fucking good and so fucking sexy,” he whined, nails digging into your hips and adding more force to your thrusts.

Your clothes and his clothes were all over his bedroom floor.

Your phone was on his nightstand.

Tonight, you sent one text to Kim Taehyung.

I’m gonna buy a bow and arrow and shoot you in the ass.

You screen flashed, indicating Taehyung had replied. One quick flick of your eyes and you smirked.

Oh shit.

Jungkook squeezed your ass, making your return your attention to him.

“Focus on me,” he begged, blown-out pupils. “Only me, please.”

“So needy,” you teased, licking your lips slowly. He groaned under you, mouth opening, his pretty pink tongue lolling out, desperate to be sucked. “If you think you can keep me, you’ll have to last longer than this, Jungkook.”

He swallowed hard at the way you said his name, a mixture of warning and desire.

“P-Please… it’s too good, I-I can’t…”

You redoubled your efforts, roughly slapping your hips into his, enjoying the loud sound and the way your core tightened, constricting him inside you, telling him he couldn’t cum until you did and deliberately holding yourself back, shifting your attention when you felt it rise, denying him over and over, until he was like this, whole body shaking, grasping your ass, sweat on his chest. His right arm, covered in tattoos, looking extra delicious in the moonlight, so fucking perfect with his forearms flexed with tension. You purposefully stared into his brown eyes overtaken with lust, his lips trembling from denying himself his own orgasm.

Jungkook whimpered your name.

On the verge of breaking, helpless at your command.

A sharp throb inside you, wildly turned on by his duality.

You smirked.

“Jungkook.”

You inhaled deeply, sighing in satisfaction with the wave of pleasure, intense shivering pulses running up and down his length, sinking down so he could feel it all, the tight and rough massage of your orgasm taking over, low moan of his name emitting from your throat, and Jungkook followed suit, louder and lewder, eyes rolling back as he shot into the condom with jerking hips, burying the twitching head deep inside you, swelling the latex with thick cum, rocking you back and forth on his length, your juices dripping down and coating the inside of your joined thighs.

“Oh, fuuuuuuuck, so good, s-so fucking good…”

You know what, he was right.

It was so fucking good.

You savored it, the ecstasy that seemed endless and overwhelming, squeezing Jungkook between your thighs and moaning, just something about it, so satisfying and gratifying listening to his wheezing gasps and content whimpers, lowering yourself to his face, and he raised his, your hands sliding under his head, giving him what he wanted, light, maddening, carnal kisses, his cheeks, his chin, his quivering lips, whining your name, pleading with you to play with him more, more, tugging on his ponytail and his hands stroking your breasts, rolling your hard nipples between his index and thumb fingers, shaking at your hissing inhale.

“Hey,” you murmured, clenching him between your legs to get his attention.

Jungkook blinked at you, brown eyes unfocused, panting hard. “Y-Yeah?”

“You should apologize.”

The side of his swollen lips quirked upwards despite his fucked-out state. His deep voice was slightly hoarse. “What for? Tell me and I will.”

You raised an eyebrow. “For your scheming and using my own best friend against me.”

Jungkook smirked slyly.

“I’m sorry.”

He lifted you and made sure he had the condom before he pulled out, still semi-hard. You narrowed your eyes. He sure as hell didn’t sound sorry. Didn’t look sorry either, peeling the condom off and crawling over the bed to toss it in the trash before straightening.

“Sounding insincere there,” you remarked coolly, balancing your chin on the back of your knuckles, elbow on the bed, tapping the air impatiently.

“I mean it,” he purred, reaching for the towel beside the bed and knocking the condoms from his nightstand to the sheets. His right hand wrapped around his glistening length, still covered in lube and his cum, toned hips thrusting into his closed fist, grinning with his lower lip between his teeth as you watched him.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

Slowly jacking himself off as his eyes roamed over your curves, moaning lustfully, lingering on your legs, clutching the towel in his left hand so hard his knuckles were pale, forearms flexed, the slick head of his cock turning purple-red, emerging from between his closed fingers, throbbing as it was choked by his harsh grip.

“Let me make it up to you,” Jungkook shuddered, stroking faster, making wet squelching sounds, his muscular thighs bulging with effort.

Fuck, he was so damn attractive.

You kept an indifferent look on your face, raising your leg, your free hand sliding down, tracing the outside of your already wet opening. Those hungry dark brown orbs immediately fixated on it, moaning imploringly as you dipped your fingers in it, soft squishing noises as you spread open your soaked pussy, slipping a finger in your heat, gently thrusting.

He gasped your name, begging you.

It made you wetter, seeing his want. He knew it too, brutally fisting his cock, hips quivering.

“Stop.”

Jungkook whined despairingly, pulling his hand away, his stiff cock bouncing from the swiftness of the movement, cutting off his own orgasm. He sucked in a shivering breath, tipping his hips up to you so his glossy, hard length twitched.

You shifted, laying back against his pillows, opening your legs.

Smirk on your lips.

“Mmm, fuck, yes, fuck me with that.”

Jungkook smirked back.

It took him no time at all to wipe his hand and crotch off, ripping open another condom and moaning as he rolled it down, the mere contact of the thin encasement stimulating his sensitive skin. He slid up to you, gripping your knees and spreading you even wider, pressing the tip against your drenched heat.

He whispered your name, like sweet smoke.

“Hm?”

Jungkook leaned down, kissing you deeply as he sank into you, drinking in your gasp at the fullness.

“I’m going to make you feel so, so good,” he mumbled into your lips, pecking you softly.

He was about to retreat but your hands snapped up, tangling into his messy violet waves, clutching his ponytail. Jungkook blinked at you, questioning.

“Not too far away,” you said with a playful smile. “I wanna see that handsome face of yours.”

He bit his lower lip, tiny mole and wicked grin revealing themselves.

“Okay.”

He lifted his hips and plunged fully into you, the connection of your hips making a loud, wet smack.

“Fuck, Jungkook…!”

And you could tell from his elated expression and his furious pace that he was ecstatic at your response, chasing it, chasing you, moaning as you caught him between your thighs and wrapped your legs around his waist, gaining some leverage and meeting his thrusts, fingers tightening in his soft hair, fuck, so beautiful, the way the pleasure overtook his handsome features, his hazy dark brown orbs shrouded in lust, his pink lip trembling in his teeth, sharp jaw set, but still maintaining a little bit of that cunning exterior that ensnared you in the first place, unknowingly at the time, the side of his lips ticking up, this cheeky bastard.

Jungkook saw the way you looked at him.

He adjusted the position, hitting deeper, swelling inside you, and, fuck, you couldn’t help it, you smirked too because he was so, so full of himself and so were you, insufferable, troublesome, competitive even now, the obscene smack of his crotch hitting your hips, wet and noisy, the squish of your juices smearing against his inner thighs as you wildly matched his rapid, bruising rhythm, your moans blending together, sweet hot harmony, his bedframe ramming against the wall, and, as usual, neither of you caring, far to occupied with yourselves, pleasure snaking between you, up your spine and into your head, mixing with the light buzz of alcohol, a different kind of euphoria from every other one-night stand, because this was Jeon Jungkook and he wasn’t going to be a one-night stand.

His lower lip popped out of his teeth and he gasped your name.

Longingly, breathlessly.

Was he thinking the same thing?

You lifted yourself a little, your hands molded to his head, whispering intensely against his shaking lips.

“Don’t worry, Jungkook. We have all night and the morning.”

Fuck, he had a brilliant smile.

It was actually doomed for you, but you weren’t mad about it.

Eye contact, and he didn’t waver, thrusting deep into you, low moan pulled from his chest, jolting shudders sliding down his shoulders and then in between you and him, his cock twitching and spilling into the condom again, roughly clamped by your tightness, and you were already there, falling over the edge with a soft cry, straining your neck and pushing his head down to you to collide your lips with his, greedy for his kiss, his taste, his whimpers at your forcefulness.

“Jungkook, ah…”

He said your name in the same tone, delicate and possessive, a bullseye right to the heart.

-

“On one hand, I’m glad you’re finally serious about someone.”

You paid absolutely no attention to the annoyed baritone voice of your best friend.

“On the other hand,” Kim Taehyung gritted out, smacking you in the shoulder blades as you crawled into Jeon Jungkook’s lap, kisses intensifying, a needy whine in his chest, his hands wrapping around your waist. “Really feeling like a third wheel, you two! Stop making out for one goddamn second!”

He threw up his hands as both of you pretended to be deaf.

-

interlude respect drabble — "how much did you see?" popcorn drabble — "who are they?"

part ii threesome, ft kth — got it bad

--

masterpost

[korianelise]

Of Protective Big Brothers and Asshole Friends

People should be more like flowers.

Flowers were simple, easy to please beings that were just along for the ride. All they needed was Sun, Soil, and water, and they were happy.

Flowers were beautiful in their simplicity. They were independent, quiet, and everything Purpled wishes he could be.

Humans, though, were ugly in their greed. Always needing more for themselves, hoarding as many riches and resources they can. It was never the necessities they craved, it was how much junk they could buy to show off. In Purpled’s opinion, he’d rather be a lonely flower.

Or maybe a weed? While flowers stuck out for their beauty, weeds blended in for the opposite. Yeah, that’s right, he’d rather be a weed sitting atop an abandoned hill, overlooking the sea, flowing in the breeze, then what he was right now.

It’s not that he was the problem, the boy actually prided himself on staying out of the countless wars going on in the server, it was everyone else. It seemed like they had all been blinded by their own need for power.

The once beautiful SMP now represents something dark, ugly, and twisted.

But what could he do about it? He was one of the most irrelevant inhabitants on the server. It hadn’t always been that way, but as he said, humans were greedy.

So, what the hell was he supposed to do when Dream all but breaks his door down in a haste to get inside?

It was a surprise to see the man, so much so that he startled so bad he drops the sword he was holding, distantly aware of how the blade barely missed his socked foot.

Watching the older man clumsily make his way to his feet, out of breath and face split into one of the biggest grins Purpled had ever seen, he merely raises an eyebrow when he exclaims, “Oh man, I can’t believe that worked! ”

Huffing a bit, still unsure of how he felt about the intruder in his home, Purple catches eye of all the potions and weapons strapped to the Admin’s body. “Care to explain?”

God, what was he supposed to do? He hasn’t seen Dream in so long, the elder being busy trying to take Wilbur and Tommy down. Why? He couldn’t tell you, but word on the street says the blonde wasn’t happy with the revolution against his rule.

It was, what, 5? 6? Citizens in total? Purpled didn’t understand the big deal, but honestly? That’s probably for the best, something tells him trying to wrap his head around the conflict will give him one hell of a migraine.

“Annual manhunt,” Swiping a hand through his now damp hair, Dream starts to look a bit sheepish, “I-I didn’t think you’d be home?”

Scrunching his brow even further, Purpled is a bit puzzled by the statement. If he wasn’t home, Dream wouldn’t have been able to get it. It’s a blatant lie, but Purpled is too exasperated to call the blonde out on it. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It sure as hell would have made me feel better.” Flopping down on the bed next to him, Dream sighs in content at finally being able to sit down.

Purpled, on the other hand, squawks in protest at this, the man is soaking wet, and he was kinda planning on sleeping in his bed tonight, so he’d rather it not get soaked.

Stifling a sigh, the boy trudges his way over to his bed. All but throwing his body onto it, Purpled starts poking the older blonde on the cheek repeatedly, “Get up you big oaf.”

Slapping the smaller boy’s hand away, Dream turns his head to the boy, unclipping his porcelain mask from his face. “What did you just call me?”

Chuckling nervously, Purpled inches his way off the bed bit by bit, “Nothing.”

“No, no” Pouncing before Purpled could even comprehend what was going on, Dream has the boy tackled to the bed, hands waving playfully over him, “You called me an oaf, I think that warrants an apology.”

A cocky grin suddenly fills the smaller boy’s face as he looks up, mischief shining in his violet eyes, “Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m sooo sorry that you’re just so lazy, and boring and-”

“That’s it!” The young boy is cut off by a giggle forcing its way out of his throat as Dream’s hands suddenly scribble at his side.

“W-Wait! Dream-” Hands flying down to fight off the ones scratching at his ribs, Purpled can’t stop the relentless laughter that comes out of him. It takes the boy a few minutes, but eventually, he is able to wriggle himself out from under Dream, propping himself on his elbows to catch his breath. “God, you asshole.”

Laughing to himself, Dream lightly smacks the boy on the shoulder, “Don’t say that.” Waiting for the teen to compose himself a bit more, Dream watches in mild curiosity as the boy reaches into the chest next to his bed, pulling out a golden apple.

Throwing it at the older man’s head, Purpled scoffed as he almost dropped it, “Thought you might be hungry.”

Taking a bite of the sweet treat, Dream doesn’t even attempt to keep good manners as he mutters a quick, “Thanks,” with a mouth full of food.

Scrunching his brow in disgust, Purpled looks at the blonde critically, “You’re so gross, god,” Laughing at the shove that follows the remark.

The two sit in content silence for a bit after that, both waiting for Dream to finish his food before striking up conversation again.

Purpled had begun to fiddle with the sleeves of his jacket waiting for the older man to finish, a nervous habit he picked up once the wars started.

You can only be shoved to the side so many times before you start to get anxious every time you talk to someone.

Dream must have picked up on the dip in his mood though, carelessly tossing the apple core behind him and shifting so he’s sitting more in front of Purpled than off to the side of him. “So, what have you been up to, kid? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

It took all of Purpled’s self-control not to snap at the man. “Maybe because you haven’t. I’ve been...busy. Super duper, have no time to hang out with anyone, busy.”

The wince he receives from the statement is satisfactory enough.

Because it has been forever since he’s seen Dream--well, scratch that. He sees Dream all the time, but the man is always busy fighting off that little rebellion. What did they call themselves again? L’Manburg, right?

But, before Dream could even utter a word of apology, a shrill yell cuts him off.

“It’s the only place we haven’t looked, man! He has to be up there!”

Exchanging a glance with Dream, both boys make their way over to the stained glass lining his UFO’s walls. Upon looking down, Purpled can make out both Bad and Sapnap making their way up his water elevator, and George keeping watch on the ground.

“ Shit!” Flying away from the window and into the middle of the circle room, Dream quickly clips his mask back on as he tugs anxiously on his blonde hair, “They’re here.”

Returning his gaze to the window, Purpled’s eyes widen upon seeing the two hunters about halfway up. “You gotta go, man. Like right now.”

Dropping his head, like he’s about to regret the decision he’s about to make, Dream turns to Purpled one last time, stature rigid and jittery, before saying, “I’m sorry kid, I’ll pay for the damages. Go hide.”

And with that he crashes through the window, glass shattering everywhere as Dream pulls out a water bucket to stop the would-have-been fatal landing.

The second Dream hits the ground, Sapnap, and Bad break the hatch to his UFO open, wasting no time in composing themselves and scouring the room.

It wasn’t until Sapnap’s gaze snapped onto him that Purpled felt the terror he was feeling truly sink in.

Now, he wasn’t an easy kid to spook, he played bed wars for fun for god’s sake! But, this wasn’t the arena where everything was just fun and games, no, this was Dream's server where you only get three respawns, three , before you’re dead. Permanently.

So can he really be blamed if he countered every step Sapnap took towards him with his own step back?

The tactic seemed to be working fine for him until his back finally hit the wall he knew he inevitably would.

It seemed like that had been the cue Sapnap was waiting for. Surging forward, the brunet swings out his sword and presses it gently against his neck faster than Purpled’s brain could keep up with.

Sucking in a harsh breath, Purpled can’t help the tremors that wrack his body as Sapnap snarls in his face, “Where is he?”

This wasn’t the Sapnap he knew, wasn’t the man he usually hung out with. No, this was a tired, agitated, and not thinking straight Sapnap. A Sapnap that was known to make reckless and poor decisions, a very “act now, think later” typa guy.

God, why can’t his brain just shut up for once?

“Sap, wait, he’s not in here.” Sagging in relief as the blade was pulled away from him, Purpled looks over to see who just saved his neck. Standing over the broken glass of the window Dream jumped out of was Bad, looking down at the duel between the blonde and George that was currently happening, “The muffin jumped.”

In a moment of bravery Purpled sure as hell didn’t really possess, the boy scrambled over to where Bad was standing. Looking down, he can’t help the proud smile that creeps its way onto his face. Dream is kicking George’s ass.

Maybe if he had been paying better attention he would have heard the muttered, “Green bastard,” from Sapnap, or the “Language” exclaimed by Bad, or the look the two men changed before two large hands clamped down on his shoulders.

His whole body tensed under the touch, an involuntary shiver running down his spine. This wasn’t a brotherly clap on the shoulders from Dream, or a playful swat from Tommy, this was a “You’re not getting away” grip.

“I’m sorry, kid” And before Purpled even knew what was happening, the arms on his shoulders were forcing his body out of the window, the alarmed cries of Bad falling on two pairs of deaf ears, “But we really need a distraction.”

Purpled, in his panicked state, had just enough time to remember that he didn't have any water buckets in his inventory before he was pushed off the ledge, a blood-curdling scream ripping through his throat as he plummeted towards the unforgiving ground.

He almost missed the way Dream's head snapped up at the shout before the world went black.

He was entirely out of options.

Manhunts usually don’t go this poorly for him, not to brag or anything, but Dream usually kicked ass during them. This year? Not so much.

He couldn’t even tell you why he was doing so bad, he had plenty of armor, food, and weapons. Yet here he was, almost completely out of breath, running like a madman to his little brother’s humble little home.

Okay, maybe a giant UFO in the sky wasn’t exactly too humble of a home, but you get what he means.

Reaching the door of the water elevator, Dream hesitates. His friends aren’t that far behind him, and he knows how desperate they’re getting to disarm him, to win their first manhunt. All in all, a version of his friends he doesn’t really want around his little brother.

But, he was out of breath, his legs were aching, and he hasn’t seen Purpled in so long .

With that thought in mind, the blonde wrenches open the door, taking a deep breath before stepping into the water and letting it pull him up to the trap door leading into the younger’s house.

Swinging the small hatch open, Dream throws himself out of the water, not even caring to try and do so gracefully. “Oh, man,” He breathes, a wheezy laugh bubbling out of him, “I can’t believe that worked! ”

Because he really hadn’t, today has been a mess and he didn’t expect anything to go his way. He truly thought his friends would have caught up to him before he was able to make his escape.

Somewhere in the room, Dream hears a surprised yelp cut its way through his laughter. Looking up, the blonde is just quick enough to catch the blade of a diamond sword barely missing Purpled’s socked foot, though it seemed as though the boy was too shocked to notice the close call.

Jesus, he didn’t come up here just to suffer a heart attack.

But, before he could berate the boy for being so careless, Purpled’s voice cuts him off. “Care to explain?” The remark comes off playful and sassy, but Dream could hear the slight concern and confusion behind it.

Climbing to his feet, Dream takes a moment to collect himself. “Annual manhunt, “ he sighs, swiping a calloused hand through his sandy hair, “I-I didn’t think you’d be home?”

He hates how it comes off more like a question. It’s clear to see in the younger blonde’s expression that he doesn’t believe him a single bit. But, it seems like the kid was willing to humor him if his next statement was anything to go by.

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“It sure as hell would have made me feel better.” Which wasn’t a lie, Dream doesn’t think he’d be able to live with himself if Purpled got hurt because of him.

Deciding that he was done standing, Dream flops onto the purple bed next to him, relishing in the relief it brings his aching bones, and smiling at the squawk of protest it gets out of Purpled.

Closing his eyes, Dream hadn’t noticed the boy had begun to make his way over to the bed as well until he felt a hand sneak under his mask to poke his face. Again, and again, and again.

“Get up you big oaf.”

Finally having enough of the childish antics, Dream unclips his porcelain mask and turns to face the younger beside him, mock anger taking over his face. “What did you just call me?”

It takes everything in him to not burst out laughing at the panic blossoming on the blonde’s face. “Nothing.”

“No, no” Tackling Purpled to the bed, Dream wiggles his fingers above the boy’s rids threateningly, an evil grin splitting onto his face, “You called me an oaf, I think that warrants an apology.”

He can’t help but raise an eyebrow at the cocky smile that takes over the younger’s face. “Okay, okay, you’re right. I’m sooo sorry that you’re just so lazy, and boring, and-”

“That’s it!” Digging his hands into the teen’s ribs, Dream can’t help but laugh a bit along with him. It’s been so long since he’s heard his little brother laugh, he hadn’t even realized how much he missed the sound until now.

With a gasp, he feels smaller hands fly down to his own and try to fight them off, “W-Wait! Dream-” but Purpled couldn’t seem to complete a sentence through his relentless stream of giggles.

Finally taking pity on the boy, Dream lets up on his attack, moving away from the smaller body to let the blonde compose himself.

“God, you asshole.”

Chuckling a bit at the snark, Dream lands a light slap onto the boy’s shoulder. “Don’t say that.” Sure, it was a bit hypocritical, he had quite the potty mouth himself, but it made him feel like more of a big brother to say things like that.

Watching with mild curiosity as Purpled leans over the side of his bed, reaching into the chest there, Dream is most definitely not prepared for the golden apple that comes flying at his head, scrambling back to try and catch it clumsily.

“Thought you might be hungry.”

Taking a bite into the small treat, Dream can’t help but sigh in content at the taste. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until now, “Thanks” he mumbled, having no regard for the fact that his mouth was full of half-chewed up food.

With a fake gag and a look of utter disgust, he hears Purpled say, “You’re so gross, god.”

Scowling at the statement, Dream leans over enough to shove the boy away from him, slumping in his own mock self-pity.

Taking another bite of the apple Dream contemplates a thought over each bite. How could he have gone this long without checking in on his little brother? Sure, he was older than both Tommy and Tubbo but he was still his baby brother .

He was supposed to be there for him, hang out with him, and make him feel loved. But, he can’t help but feel as though he’s failed Purpled.

How do you just forget about the most important person in the world to you?

Moving his gaze back to the blonde boy in front of him, Dream notices the way his face has fallen, and how he’d started to fiddle with the sleeves of his cotton sweater.

Huh, last he checked the boy didn’t have any nervous quirks to him.

Tossing the apple core behind him, not even caring to try and aim it at the trash can, Dream’s face softens as he focuses on trying to fix the mistakes he’s made. “So, what have you been up to, kid? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Maybe because you haven’t. I’ve been...busy. Super duper, have no time to hang out with anyone, busy.”

Okay, that one stung.

Because he knows it's a lie. Dream doesn’t even want to count how many times he’s seen Purpled warily watching him from afar. Watching him fight in a stupid war that didn’t seem so worth it anymore. Not if it hurt his relationship with Purpled this deeply.

Just as he was about to open his mouth and tell the boy in front of him how sorry he was, and how much he truly meant to him, a shrill yell from outside cuts him off.

“It’s the only place we haven’t looked, man! He has to be up there!”

He had really hoped he would have more time before they found him.

Glancing at Purpled, both boys warily make their way across the room to look outside. Upon reaching the window, Dream’s heart almost beats out of his chest. They were coming up here.

“Shit!” Launching himself into the center of the room, panic starts to creep into Dream’s chest.

They were going to come up here, into his little brother’s home, and trash it in search of him. His poor, innocent, little brother’s house that he spent weeks building from the ground up.

God, he was so stupid.

“You gotta go, man. Like right now.”

Snapped out of his trance, Dream hadn’t even realized Purpled had taken another peek out the window.

Stifling a long, exasperated sigh, Dream hangs his head low. He needed to get out now . Not being here would put Purpled in less danger, and give him a better chance at getting to the End. He could easily fight off George.

But he really didn’t want to leave Purpeld alone.

Clipping the white mask to his face, not wanting the other blonde to see the regret for his future actions painting it, Dream lets the emotionless smile settle on the violet eyes boring into him.

“I’m sorry, kid, I’ll pay for the damages. Go hide.”

Not giving himself another second to think about what the hell he was doing, Dream sprints as fast as he could towards the glass in front of him, making an effort to ignore the surprised gasp Purpled had let out.

Drawing a water bucket from his inventory, Dream uses it to turn the would-have-been-fatal fall into the exact opposite. Upon landing, he whips around to see George charging him, sword out and ready to come down on him.

Pushing away the panic about the boy he left behind down, Dream smiles under his mask. George was just too easy.

Ducking under the swing, Dream kicks his leg out, sending the older man flying back with a grunt of pain.

Not giving his opponent the chance to retaliate the blow, Dream is on him in a second.

He wants to end this as soon as possible. He left his baby brother alone with Bad and Sapnap--someone who was known to make brash and dumb decisions. But, his pride wouldn’t let him just stand down. The sooner he could win, the sooner he could-

White-hot pain exploding on his face him cut off the blonde’s thoughts.

Stumbling back, Dream registers that George had clocked him in the jaw, a cheap shot taken in a moment of vulnerability.

Shoving down his agitation, Dream pulls his focus back to the fight. Getting his ass beat isn’t going to help anybody.

Taking out his own sword, Dream starts taking slash after slash at George, forcing the britt onto the defensive as he takes step after step back to avoid getting cut.

None were fatal blows, but ones that would sure as hell hurt.

Raising his sword backward, so the hilt of the blade was above George’s temple, Dream can’t help the smirk that plasters itself onto his face as he’s about to drop his arm and knock the older out, but a sudden noise makes his whole body freeze.

That….sounded familiar.

The scream was too high-pitched and youthful to be from either Sapnap or Bad, which only left one other person as to who it could be- no.

Dropping his sword, Dream's mind goes blank as he starts running as fast as his body will allow him to Purpled's rapidly falling form. The boy had gone silent, no long flailing in the air, or screaming, or sobbing, or giving him any indication that he was still awake.

And if he had passed out, there was no way for him to land safely.

That thought seemed to do what Dream thought was impossible, and made his body move even faster. The boy's body was too close to the ground now for him to catch him gently.

In a last-ditch effort to reach his baby brother's body, Dream takes a leap of faith and all but football tackles the small, limp, fragile body not 5-feet in front of him.

Tumbling to the ground, the force of the impact forcing Dream to roll head over heels multiple times, he looks down once he stops and is more than relieved to see a small body cradled to his chest, not ashes from what would have been his first death.

Ignoring the throbbing in his own body, or the 3 forms making their way over to him, Dream looks over Purpled, noticing that he was right, the boy had passed out. There were tear tracks on his face, red, and blotchy, and just wrong looking on him, and he had a sluggishly bleeding cut on the crown of his head.

Overall okay--but far from it at the same time.

This was the boy's first close encounter with death, and if Dream had any say in it, will be the closest Purpled ever gets to dying again.

Pulling the vulnerable form closer to his chest, Dream buries his head in the soft curls of the boy's hair.  Nothing else mattered right now, just his little brother secured to his chest and the fact that he almost died .

"-Ream, is he alright? You're gonna have to move buddy, I need to look him over."

Snapping his head up at the voice, Dream is met with the face of an all-too calm Bad. But, upon closer inspection of the man's face, he could tell he was pale, seemingly shaken up from the past events as well.

To his right was George, the Britt's hand slapped over his mouth, eyes bulging out of his head as he stared at the two huddled on the floor, as if he couldn't believe what just happened.

And that means to his left was Sapnap.

Eyes narrowing in the deadliest glare he could muster, the only thing keeping Dream from attacking the man right now was the little body cradled in his arms. " I’ll kill you ."

[ericsonclan]

Exciting News

Summary: Clementine and Mitch are being their normal competitive selves until Clementine and Louis learn some news about Brody.

Word Count: 2657

Read on A03:

It was an incredibly slow day at Ericson’s Diner. Only a few customers had wandered in for the breakfast shift and now that lunch was approaching it looked like not many more would show up. This left a bunch of the employees with a lot of time on their hands and not much to do with it. Some just waited patiently while others used this time to their advantage.

“Get ready, Clem, I’m gonna win this round!” Mitch declared as he gritted his teeth. His arm flexed as he tried to get the upper hand in this arm-wrestling match.

“Heh, doubt it. You have ‘loser’ written all over your face,” Clementine smirked as her arm didn’t budge at all. These matches had been intense and their arms always remained firmly stuck in the middle. This gave the two plenty of time to shit talk each other though, which they gladly took the opportunity to. Their banter was the loudest thing in the empty restaurant as they sat in the nicest booth in the place.

“No way you’re gonna beat me with those twig arms,” Mitch held a smug smile on his lips.

“I could beat you in my sleep but I think it's almost your nap time, grandpa,” Clementine felt pride flicker in her heart when she saw how pissed Mitch was by those words.

“I’m only one year older than you, dumbass!” he grumbled then poured all his focus into the arm-wrestling match. Until suddenly a voice appeared beside the competitive friends.

“What in tarnation are you two doing?” Ruby stood there, her hands on her hips.

“We’re arm wrestling, duh,”

“Yeah, maybe you should invest in some glasses,” Clementine added with a smile and high-fived Mitch until she saw the look in Ruby’s eyes. Mitch caught sight of it too and the two stopped their match.

“That’s better. Honestly, if you want to duke it out, do it in the break room. Not where the customers can see you,” Ruby scolded the pair who weren’t surprised that Ruby was the one to interrupt them. Even though it was Violet’s job to be in charge of the front of the house she never stepped in. She was clearly too busy flirting with a certain bartender for the hundredth time that day.

“Fine,” Mitch had a pout on his lips as he looked away.

“Sorry, Ruby, we’ll go to the break room,”

Clementine’s words made Ruby smile then after a minute she wandered back to the kitchen. Mitch and Clementine watched her walk away in silence before Clementine took the opportunity and slammed Mitch’s arm into the table, winning the match. The unannounced move had caught him off guard and within seconds his ass was on the floor. Mitch sat there in stunned silence until he heard Clementine’s laughter.

He immediately sent a frown her way. “What the hell, Clem!”

“All is fair in love and arm wrestling,” Clementine shrugged then held out her hand. “Pay up,”

“Whatever,” Mitch grumbled and pulled out a ten, smacking it into Clementine’s hand.

Clementine grinned to herself, leading the way to the break room. “Ready to lose even more money?”

“Shut up, I’m gonna be the one with the shit-eating grin when I kick your ass at Street Fighter 2!” Mitch pushed open the door while Clementine let out a cocky laugh.

“Heh, doubt it,”

The day passed by at a snail’s pace until evening rolled around and Mitch and Brody finally showed up at Clementine and Louis’ place. After the simple pleasantries were out of the way all four of them went to the kitchen.

“Alright, pick your poison,” Clementine leaned against the open fridge door. She watched as Mitch leaned over and started to pick the ingredients for Skunk Me.

“You’re gonna be the one drinking this shit,” He sent a smug look her way as he picked pickles, chocolate sauce and blue cheese. Clementine immediately snagged some leftover fish and soy sauce. The two friends kept shit talking and butting heads as they walked over to the blender where they placed all the ingredients they had chosen into it. Both of them were fully confident they’d win these rounds of Skunk Me. It was a simple yet entertaining game: they’d play a round of a game of their choosing and the loser had to drink the weird concoction they’d made in the blender. Clementine and Mitch had both experienced the disgusting taste of defeat and were raring to go and kick the other one’s ass tonight.

“Mmm, look at the delicious drink you're about to have,” Clementine leaned her arm on the blender as its contents turned an unnatural shade of gray.

“Not happening because I’m gonna kick your ass so hard in Street Fighter tonight!”

Louis and Brody watched on with amusement as their spouses kept shooting crappy insults back and forth.

“So, did you bring the nail polish for tonight?’ Louis looked over at Brody who gave a short nod.

“Yep! I brought all the colors you wanted too,” Louis beamed at that and hugged Brody. “I’m so excited, I love your nail art!” He swayed his friend back and forth which made a smile appear on Brody’s lips.

“You got the romcom all set, right?”

“Of course! I’d never disappoint you like that, Bro,” Louis let go and strolled over to the counter. “I got us our favorite charcuterie board and a chardonnay.” Louis held up the chilled bottle of wine. “It’s white, just like you!” He gave a big smile before he noticed Brody’s expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing, I just feel bad because I’m not really in the wine or deli meat kind of mood.” Brody saw Louis’ face drop at that. “But I’ll eat a lot of cheese!”

“That’s good enough for me!” Louis linked arms with Brody and wandered to the back living room while Clementine was carrying tons of shot glasses with Mitch that were filled with the weird gray goop.

Pulling a small side table next to the Street Fighter ll arcade machine, the two prepared to decimate each other in virtual combat.

“I still can’t believe Louis bought you an arcade machine for your birthday,” Mitch commented as he picked Zangief in the character select. “It’s pretty fucking badass,”

“Yeah, I remember telling him that I liked going to the arcade to escape from life for a bit when I was younger. Guess he really listened when I was gushing about Street Fighter 2 ,” Clementine smiled to herself then selected Chun Li.

“Get ready to have your ass kicked at your favorite game. I’m more of a Mortal Kombat guy but I can still destroy you,” Mitch smirked over at Clementine who quickly returned.

“Let’s see if you’ll keep saying that as you drink those seven shots,” She nodded over to the gray goop then prepared for the fight.

Soon both were completely focused on the match. Clementine had chosen a faster character and it was one she had been playing as since she was a teen. Guiding Chun Li forward, she performed a high kick then jumped over before Mitch could land a hit.

“Fuck,” Mitch grumbled and moved to strike but due to playing as a slower character, he couldn’t seem to land many hits. Clementine kept toying with him before finishing him off with a flurry of kicks. As Zangief lay on the floor, completely annihilated, Chun Li stood beside him and gave a respectful bow.

“Whatever, that was just luck. I’ll win the next round!” Mitch yelled as he made Zangief charge forward.

He quickly lost the first match and stood before the shot glass of the disgusting mixture.

“Enjoy,” Clementine had a shit-eating grin on her lips. “It’s the first of many,”

“Fuck off,” Mitch grumbled as he downed the drink in one go. His face twisted in disgust before he let out a burp that tasted spicy for some reason. Clementine chuckled to herself which made Mitch’s frown grow. “Shut up,”

“I didn’t say anything,” Clementine pushed another quarter in and soon the next match started. Fortunately for Mitch, he was getting used to playing Zagrief again, unfortunately, he also lost this match too. Clementine’s smile seemed even wider this time as Mitch shuddered after taking the shot, hoping to get rid of the taste.

“Man, you sure like losing, dont’cha?” Clementine started off the third match with utter confidence. She knew it was impossible that she’d lose.

She had lost. That fact floored Clementine as she watched Zagrief give a victory pose.

“Heh, your turn with the sewer water,” Mitch handed over the shot glass. “Oh, shit, that top layer looks like piss,” “You’re enjoying this,” Clementine plugged her nose and threw back the drink. Her eyes squeezed shut as the multiple clashing flavors overwhelmed her taste buds.

“You like it?” Mitch laughed when he saw his friend flip him off.

“Come on, it’s time you finish your drinks,” Clementine tapped the buttons, quickly setting up the next match. After some well-timed jump kicks, grabs, and punches, Mitch won again which annoyed Clementine to no end as she tortured her mouth once more with the revolting concoction. But it was soon over and she was ready to kick his ass.

Once was luck, winning twice took a little skill, but winning four in a row made Clementine pause.

“What’s wrong? Want to savor this shit?” Mitch swirled the shot glass under his friend’s nose.

“Cut it out,” Clementine snatched the glass and drank the contents. After a few seconds, she put the pieces together. “You went easy in the first two matches,”

Mitch’s smug smirk said it all.

“Heh, so that’s how it's going to be,” Clementine cracked her neck and got ready to hold nothing back.

Mitch hadn’t known that he would unlock an ultra-competitive side to Clementine who wiped the floor with him. Her devastating kicks completely annihilated any chance he had of winning any more rounds and soon the matches were done. He had won four and Clementine had won three. Mitch still held the biggest shit-eating grin on his face as he strolled into the back living room with Clementine after they’d cleaned the shot glasses.

“Guess I’m a master at Street Fighter 2 now. Better watch out because next time I’m gonna rock your shit.”

“Heh, keep telling yourself that,” Clementine turned her attention to her husband who was in the middle of a conversation with Brody. After a second he glanced back and his eyes shimmered with happiness.

“Hey, Clem, ready for the romcom?” Louis asked as he wrapped his arms around her hips and stole a quick kiss. He immediately regretted it though as his lips were bombarded with the awful taste of the Skunk Me drink. He pulled back, trying to hide his disgust at the taste with a smile. Clementine still picked up Louis’ discomfort though.

“Oh shit, the Skunk Me drink! One second, I’ll go use some mouthwash,” Clementine gave his hand a quick squeeze then left.

“Well, Brodes, you are looking at the winner of Skunk Me,” Mitch smiled with pride and leaned forward to kiss his wife but his lips were quickly blocked.

“Mouthwash, now,”

“Okay,” Mitch got up and wandered off to the bathroom.

After a minute the pair of friends returned and sat with their respective spouse. When Mitch sat back down he moved his arms around Brody’s shoulders then whispered something to her as his hand wandered to her stomach for a second. Clementine found that odd but was quickly drawn away from that as Louis finished setting up the movie. The title screen for How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days appeared on the screen and Louis soon sat back down, moving Clementine’s arms to wrap around him.

“So, watch the movie for a bit then do each other’s nails?” “Sounds good to me,” Brody looked around and saw that the others felt the same way. They all enjoyed the movie, giving commentary here and there and sharing a few laughs before they got set up to paint each other’s nails. Brody focused on Mitch’s, painting them black then adding cute yet badass little skulls on his thumbs, middle and pinky fingers. After that was done she added a heart on the nail of his ring finger.

Mitch looked at his finished nails with awe. “Fuckin’ A!”

“You like them?” Brody smiled at her husband who held her gently in his arms for a minute.

“I fucking love them,” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and then got ready to do her nails. Mitch wasn’t anywhere near as good as a nail artist as Brody but he had gotten better over the years. So he tried to be ambitious and gave her a beach-themed set. It actually turned out fairly decent and he even added a matching heart on the nail of her ring finger. That fact made Brody’s heart warm. Soon the couple was relaxing and enjoying the moment while Louis worked on doing chevron nails for Clementine.

Using the tape that Brody brought for nails he applied color after color. Soon Clem’s nails were covered in beautiful layers of black, shiny silver, and teal. Clementine peppered Louis’ face with kisses after he finished then looked up a cute design on her phone to do for his nails. Searching for a few minutes, she landed on a cute turtle design and thought to herself that she could easily accomplish that. Sadly that was far from the truth as most of Louis’ nails that were supposed to have turtle shells looked like weird camo splotches and the cute cartoon turtles’ faces looked like they were melting right off his hands.

“Holy shit, Clem,” Louis whispered and Clementine got a bit nervous about her husband’s reaction. “These are so cute! Brody! Brody! Look! Aren’t they cute? They’re turtles!”

“Awww, they are cute,” Brody gave a soft smile.

“Turd-les is right,” Mitch joked but changed his tone after he received a look from Brody. “I mean, they're nice, I guess,”

“Right! Clem is super talented,” Louis planted a huge kiss on his wife’s cheek then held her close.

After nails were done they started up the movie again until Clementine went to get a drink. “Oh yeah, we got your favorite wine, do you want some, Brody?” “No thanks, I can’t have wine,”

Clementine and Louis shared a look at that.

“Wait, you said you didn’t want deli meat,”

“And Mitch has been touching your stomach,” Clementine added.

“Are you pregnant?!?” Louis’ eyes were large as he leaned forward. He hoped he was right.

Brody gave a shy smile. “Guess the cat is out of the bag, Mitch,”

“Guess so,” Mitch leaned back and held Brody close.

“No way! That’s amazing! How far along are you?” “Only a month. The nausea hasn’t been fun or the mood swings but that’s just part of the package,” Brody placed a hand on her stomach.

“Does anyone else know?” Louis asked; clearly he wanted to know everything.

“Only Ruby and Aasim. We were going to wait to tell everyone after the first trimester but...” Brody looked up at Mitch.

“Eh, fuck it, let’s tell everyone. Knowing Louis he’s gonna tell everyone everything anyway,”

“Am not!” Louis huffed defensively but he knew that he was going to text Violet and Marlon the news as soon as possible. They would then tell Prisha and Sophie and from there, one by one everyone would find out.

“Well, either way, we’re really happy for you two,” Clementine gave a warm smile and watched with joy at how soft Mitch was being with Brody. It was really sweet. Quickly Louis grilled the expecting couple question after question. The movie remained paused on the screen for the rest of their time together as they all got lost in the joy of the news.

[justcallmefox89]

Truth or Dare Part 5

Tension builds in the House of Lamentation, and one relationship grows as another falls apart.  Arianthi finds out the brothers have been keeping a secret from her.

NSFW - penetrative sex, unprotected sex

TW -  Possible TWs for those who have suffered from physical abuse.

Written from the perspective of my female character Arianthi. 

I’m adding a different mood playlist to each installment of this series, just songs that I listened to while writing and feel embody each part of the story.

Hey Violet - Like Lovers Do

Post Malone - I Fall Apart 

Tom Odell - Another Love

LP - Too Much

Hozier - Better Love 

Mammon and I stare at each other for what seems like forever, but in reality can only be a few seconds.  Seeing him cry triggers all my usual instincts.  

Protect him, hold him, make it better.  

I try to move away from Diavolo but he sleepily tightens his hold on me, and I watch as Mammon slowly closes my bedroom door.  I stay still and listen as his footsteps steadily fade, a slow crack forming on the one piece of my heart that Mammon hasn’t already shattered.  

Diavolo nuzzles the back of my neck.  “Something wrong?”

“No.  No it’s nothing.”  I relax back into his arms.  

I don’t owe Mammon anything, especially not after tonight.  Just enjoy having Diavolo in your bed.

“Well, if you’re still awake I obviously didn’t do my job well enough earlier.”  Diavolo skims a large hand down my stomach and between my thighs while he lazily rocks his hips against my ass.  “Let’s see if I can improve on that.”  

He roughly pushes two fingers inside me; I’m wet with arousal and his earlier release and he uses that to his advantage, pushing in and out, making me even wetter for him.  He slides his other arm under my shoulders to palm my breasts and hold me tight to his chest.  He removes his fingers and brings his hand behind my knee to slightly raise my leg, then slowly slides his cock deep in my pussy.

Despite our earlier session it is still a tight fit, and when he lowers my leg it becomes tighter still.  I’m deliciously sore, pain edging along with pleasure as we melt together.  His hand comes to rest on my lower stomach, pressing our hips tightly together as we sleepily rock against each other.  His thrusts are slow and shallow, but still manage to hit all my sweet spots.  

Diavolo flutters soft kisses up my neck to my ear.  “You feel so good....how do you feel so good?”  

I loll my head back against his shoulder to allow him access to the other side of my neck.  I feel his soft lips again, then the sharpness of his fangs as his nips at my neck, marking me as his.  I moan and raise a hand behind me to tangle my hand in his hair, attempting to pull him even closer.  The only sounds in my room are our mingled sighs of lust and bare skin meeting bare skin.  I feel my orgasm coming on, unfurling like silk low in my abdomen.  One last thrust from Diavolo sends me over the edge and my pussy clenches around him; he follows immediately, shooting spurt after spurt of cum deep inside me.  It mixes with his earlier release and runs down my thighs, my body unable to contain all of it. 

He pulls out and rolls me on my side to face him, putting one hand between my thighs to collect his cum on two fingers.  He swipes them slowly over my lips, coating them.  

“Kiss me.”  The low growl is an order I immediately obey, and he licks along my lips before his tongue meets mine, and we share the taste of our mutual release.  

He breaks the kiss after a few moments, then wraps his arms around around me, cradling my head against his chest.  He rests his cheek on top of my head and presses a kiss into my hair.  “Good night princess.”  

I wake up several hours later, still in Diavolo’s arms.  I can hear the persistent buzzing of my D.D.D. on my nightstand.  I free one arm and snag it, thumbing open the home screen.  56 new messages and 11 missed call.  I scroll through them; they’re all from the brothers, minus Mammon. 

You missed breakfast are you ok?  Will you be joining us for lunch?  Please answer the door, we’re worried.  Please come down for dinner.  

I throw the D.D.D. away from me as hard as I can and it lands on the carpet with a thud.  

“Nobody you wanted to talk to?”  Even though his voice is thick with sleep I can hear amusement in Diavolo’s question.  

I stretch out lazily next to him and shake my head.  “Just the boys.  I missed breakfast and lunch.  They’re worried I’m going to turn my room into a bunker.”

“Don’t you think you should let them know you’re ok?”  Diavolo’s eyebrows draw together in worry.

I reach out and smooth away the wrinkles in his forehead with my thumbs before pressing a light kiss there.  “If you keep frowning that way your face will get stuck like that.”

He chuckles as he reaches out and catches my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm.  “You’re adorable, but I’m not letting you get away with not answering.”

I sigh.  “I’ll eat dinner with them tonight.  Right now I just want to keep being with you.”  I laugh.  “And take a shower.”

Diavolo grins at me.  “I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to allow me to join you?”

I gasp in mock surprise.  “I would never deny my prince anything!”

He bites his lip.  “Your prince, hm?  I do like the sound of that.”  

He growls and rolls over on top of me, pressing kisses all over my face, my neck, my chest.  I attempt to retaliate and we wind up tangled in the blankets, giggling and breathless.

“Ok, but seriously.  Shower time.”  I smile at him and sit up.  I swing my legs over the edge of my bed and wince a little.

Diavolo is instantly by my side, frowning with concern.  “Are you ok?  Did I hurt you?”

I brush away his concerns with a smile.  “Just a little sore from last night.  You are significantly.......larger than anyone else I’ve been with.”

He gives me a cocky smirk, then sweeps me up in his arms, bridal style.  “Well since this is all my fault allow me to pamper you a little.” 

He carries me into my bathroom, and sets me down on the sink.  I wait for him to start the shower, to get the water temperature just right.  He picks me up again and gently sets me under the warm stream of water before stepping in behind me.  “Let me wash your hair.”

I wet my hair then obediently turn my back to him, sighing as his strong fingers work through my hair, gently pressing against my skull.  He helps me rinse, then repeats the same process for my conditioner.  

“Ok, your turn mister.”  I pour some shampoo into my hand, while he wets his hair.  We run into a problem when I go to lather his hair.  “Ok, you’re going to have to bend down because I can’t reach you!”

He rolls his eyes at me with a smile and bends down so I can shampoo his hair.  I take my time, gently scratching his scalp with my fingernails, enjoying the soft feel of his hair.  We take turns soaping each other’s bodies, sneaking soft kisses and touches in between.  

“Stay right here.”  Diavolo gives me one last kiss before shutting off the water and stepping out of the shower.  He quickly towels off, then wraps the towel around his waist.  “Now come here.”  

He holds out a towel and I step into his embrace.  He softly towels me dry, wrapping me up tight when he’s done.  He grabs an extra towel and my hair brush before picking me up again and carrying me back to my bed.  He sits on the mattress, settling me firmly in his lap before softly drying my hair and gently brushing it free of tangles.  We don’t speak, the silence comfortable and easy.  

Diavolo hugs me from behind when he’s finished.  “As much as I hate to say it, I do need to return to the castle.”

I slide off his lap.  “Let’s get dressed then and I’ll walk you out.”  

I pull on a pair of jeans and a white hoodie while Diavolo gets dressed in his clothes from the night before.

I start to walk to my door but he catches my elbow and pulls me to a stop.  “Are you still sore?” 

I shrug.  “A little bit.”

Diavolo turns his back to me and bends down a little.  “Climb on.  No walking for you while I’m still here.”  

I laugh as I put my arms over his shoulders and he reaches behind to grab my thighs, lifting me up and holding me effortlessly. 

I kiss the top of his head, still laughing.  “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy about you,” he instantly replies laughing along with me.  He walks out into the hallway, still laughing while I kiss the top of his head over and over and tickle his neck and his ears.  We round the corner and bump into Asmo and Beel.

“Oh.  Hey guys.”  I give an awkward wave, looking down over Diavolo’s shoulder.

“Uh hi.”  They reply in unison, matching expressions of surprise on their faces.

“Well.  We’ll be going then.”  Diavolo gives them a nod and brushes past, continuing our journey to the front door.  The second we’re out of sight we both start laughing so hard he almost drops me.  He sets me down gently when we reach the door. 

 “Are you sure you’re going to be ok here?” he asks, reaching out to hold my hand.

“I’ll be fine.  There’s six other people to act as a buffer, and then after dinner I can go back to hiding in my room.”  I smile at him, reaching up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss.  It’s soft and lingering, neither one of us wanting to part.  I eventually give his chest a small push.  “Go on you, Barbatos is probably worried.”

Diavolo drops one last kiss on my cheek.  “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Later on that evening the seven brothers and I gather around the dinner table in complete silence.  Belphie takes Mammon’s usual place beside me and Mammon sits at the end of the table, staring at his plate, scowling when our eyes happen to meet.  The air is heavy with tension that even Asmo, chatterbox that he is, can’t break.

He eventually settles on me.  “So Arianthi, what was Diavolo doing here?  You guys looked like you were having fun.”

Lucifer shoots a look at me.  “Diavolo was here?  Why didn’t you come get me Arianthi?”

I busy myself pushing fried bat wing around on my plate, refusing to look at him.

“He wasn’t here to see you.”  Mammon’s voice is icy and I’m afraid to look over at him.

Asmo realizes his mistake a moment too late and immediately begins copying me, studiously examining his plate.  Lucifer is now frowning at me, displeased and confused. 

Keep your eyes down and you will live through this.  They can smell fear.   

“Tell him human.  Tell him why Diavolo was really here.”  Mammon’s voice again, mocking now.  I stubbornly refuse to raise my head.  “He wasn’t here to see ya Lucifer, because he never left last night.  Stayed with the human all night, ain’t that right?”

Lucifer sucks in a sharp breath.  “Is this true?  Were you sick again?  Is that why he stayed?  You could have fetched me, there was no need to trouble Lord Diavolo.”  His voice is concerned, and I’m ready to crumble under the pressure and admit everything when Mammon lets out a low, cruel chuckle.

“She wasn’t sick.  She was too busy fucking your precious Lord Diavolo’s brains out to be sick.”  

I snap my head up and Mammon’s eyes meet mine, sparking blue fire, equal parts rage and pain.  

Something inside me snaps and I slam my fork down on the table.  

“Oh?  We’re making it that kind of family dinner?  Well that’s just fucking fine with me.  Hey Mammon, those witches you have pacts with?  How come you were still fucking them up until a few weeks ago?”

His face visibly pales.  “How did you know about that?”

“I didn’t for sure until you confirmed it just now you hypocritical ass!  But there were nights when you didn’t come home, marks that you didn’t have before......”  

I notice none of the other brothers look surprised by this little revelation.  I didn’t think it was possible, but the tiny pieces of my heart shatter a little more.  

“You all knew didn’t you?  You all knew and nobody told me.”

They all have the good grace to look ashamed before Mammon starts in.  “It wasn’t their business to tell.  Wasn’t any of your business either!”

My mouth falls open in shock.  “None of my business?  None of my GODDAMN BUSINESS?  You’ve spent the past five months glued to my side, flirting with me, sleeping in my room almost every night.  We’ve kissed Mammon!  I care about you!  I thought you cared about me.  I deserved to know what was really happening.”

He slouches lower in his seat, glaring at me.  “I didn’t owe you anything.  You were probably fucking Diavolo behind my back the whole time too.”

There’s a collective gasp around the table and my vision goes red.  “Does your asshole ever get jealous of the shit that comes out of your mouth Mammon?  You know better than that.  You KNOW me.  You know I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Mammon gives an incoherent growl and flings his dinner plate against the wall.  “I thought I did.  But ya really are just like every other human.  Worthless.”  

He pushes back from the table and in a few seconds we all hear the front door slam.

I rub my hands over my face, surprised when I pull them back and they’re wet.  I’m crying and I didn’t even realize it.  The remaining six brothers are staring at me with a mixture of pain and concern.  My hands are shaking and my chest is tight.  

When I finally speak my voice is low.  “Was it funny?  Seeing me fall in love with him while he was sleeping with them?  Did you guys laugh about it when I wasn’t around?”

“Arianthi.....” Beel looks like he’s ready to cry along with me.

“It wasn’t like that, I swear it wasn’t,” Levi pleads with me.

“He really does care about you,” Asmo says.  “We do too.  We just couldn’t........there’s a lot you don’t know.”  He trails off and bites his lip, eyes begging me to understand.

I huff out a low laugh.  “No, I get it.  You don’t owe me any loyalty.  I’m just some worthless human.”

“Arianthi,” Lucifer begins. 

I stand up and walk away from the table quickly, before breaking into a sprint, refusing to hear what he has to say.  I throw open the door to my room, quickly shoving clothes into a bag.  

I can’t stay here.  I won’t stay here.  Not with them.  

Once the bag is full I zip it up and open my door.  The brothers are all standing outside my room.  I roughly shoulder past them and start for the front door.

“Arianthi?  What are you doing?”  Satan sounds alarmed.

“Where are you going?” Belphie asks, struggling to keep up with me. 

“Anywhere but here.”  I don’t slow my pace.

“Why are you taking a bag?”  Levi is practically in tears.

“Because I’m not coming back.”

“What do you mean?”  Asmo and Beel are in tears.

“Exactly what I said.”  I open the front door and Lucifer’s hand closes in on mine, pulling me to a stop.

“Arianthi, you can’t go.”  His voice is no-nonsense but soft, trying not to anger me further.  “It’s dangerous for a human to wander around the Devildom after dark.”

Too late for concern motherfucker.  I shake off his hand.  “Don’t you dare touch me.  Don’t you ever fucking try to touch me again.  Any of you.”

“At least tell us where you’re going to stay,” Beel pleads.

“With Solomon.”  I turn and slam the door behind me without looking back.  

Despite saying I was going to stay with Solomon, my feet unconsciously make a path towards the Demon Lord’s castle.  I stand outside, debating what to do when the door swings open, Barbatos standing in front of me. 

Diavolo pops up behind him.  “Arianthi?  Did you walk here by yourself?  It’s dangerous out..........”  He trails off as he gets a closer look at me.  “What’s wrong?  Did something happen?”

“Diavolo,” my voice cracks as I try to fight back tears.  “I need you.”  

Wordlessly, he steps forward and wraps his arms around me, pressing my head against his chest.  He hands off my bag to Barbatos as I break down and sob into his jacket. 

I spend the next two months staying with Diavolo and avoiding the brothers.  Anytime we run into each other at R.A.D I turn and walk away, Diavolo often accompanying me as a buffer.  When Lucifer comes to the castle to discuss student council business, Diavolo lets me know ahead of time so I can shut myself in our room.  

Evenings are spent going on dates or exploring the Devildom, then coming home to make love.  Diavolo becomes my anchor and my protector, slowly patching together my broken pieces.  We have an easy, playful relationship and our time together makes me genuinely happy. 

I have yet to get the rest of my things from my room in the House of Lamentation, and Diavolo insists he can replace anything I’ve left behind.  I refuse.  I know he’s trying to be kind, but I want my things.  One night while he’s in his study, deep in paperwork, I grab a bag and set out.  It’s late enough that all the brothers will either be out or in their rooms, giving me a perfect chance to grab what I want out of my room.  

In and out.  There and back.  

It takes me barely any time to get to the House of Lamentation, and I sigh in relief when I see most of the lights are dark.  I cautiously crack open the front door and listen carefully.  Once I’m sure there’s no one close by I ease inside and slowly make my way to my room.  I see a light on in the kitchen and debate trying to sneak past. 

More than likely it’s Beel.  If I’m quiet he’ll never notice me.  

I take a few seconds to hype myself up and then start to creep past the kitchen doorway. 

I’m almost clear when I hear something rustle behind me.  “Oi!  Who the hell-!”  

I spin around and see Mammon staring at me.  

“Oh.....it’s you,” he sullenly says, looking me up and down. 

Something tightens in my chest as I look at him.  He’s wearing a pair of low slung pajama pants and holding a bottle of water, hair ruffled from sleep.  

“I’m just here to get some of my stuff.  Then I’m gone.”  I hold up my empty bag in explanation. 

Mammon snorts.  “Go on then.  Wouldn’t want ya to keep Diavolo waiting.”

I roll my eyes and turn away, not willing to engage in another verbal sparring match with him.  

I hear him heave a sigh behind me.  “Wait.  Dammit Arianthi, wait!”  

I stop walking but don’t turn around.  

“We need to talk.  Can ya stay a minute?”  

I stand still, debating if I’m strong enough to deal with him right now.  

“Please stay.  For me?”  His last request is barely a whisper but it breaks down the rest of my defenses.

I follow him into the kitchen and lean against one of the counters.  Mammon stands in front of me, eyes firmly locked onto the floor.  We stay in a silent stalemate for a minute before Mammon opens his mouth.

“I wanna apologize for the stuff I said the last time we were together.  And for what I said at your birthday.  I didn’t mean any of it.  I was just so angry and hurt......and ya didn’t deserve any of that.  I shouldn’t have said it.  I can’t take it back so all I can do is apologize.  You’re the last person I ever woulda wanted to hurt.”

I stare back at him in silence.  My heart is ready to forgive him, telling me to throw my arms around him and promise to never leave him again.  

My heart is a dumb bitch.  

“Ok.”

When he realizes I’m not going to say anymore than that Mammon bites his lip, hesitating.  “Can I ask ya something?”  

I nod. 

“When I saw ya that night, with Diavolo, was that...”  His voice shakes. “Was that the first time?”  

“Yeah.  Yeah it was.”  I pause.  “Can I ask you something now?”  

He nods slowly.  

“Did you ever care about me?  Or was everything we did just....... I don’t even know.”  I throw my hands up in frustration.

Mammon’s head snaps up, blue eyes wide and full of tears.  “Of course I did!  You’re.......you’re special.  I loved spending time with ya, and when ya kissed me I thought my damn heart was gonna stop.”  He blushes furiously. 

I bite into my lower lip, hard.  “If that’s true-”

“It is!”  Mammon interrupts me.

“If that’s true Mammon, then why were you still having sex with other people?  If you cared about me so much then why not try to be WITH me?  You know that’s what I wanted.”  I choke, trying to fight back my tears.  

Mammon looks down at the floor.  “Ya wouldn’t understand,” he mumbles.

“What?  What wouldn’t I understand?  Tell me what I wouldn’t understand!”  My voice gets higher and I’m shaking with anger.  I don’t want to be mad at him, but I can’t help it.  

“Ya really wanna know?”  His voice is starting to match mine in volume.  

“Because I had to forget about ya!  I knew I was never gonna have ya!  You were gonna haveta leave at the end of the program, and that’s not if ya didn’t figure out how much of a scumbag I was first.  So I kept fucking those witches so I could keep my mind off of ya!”  

He’s crying now.  “Ya know why I finally stopped?”

I shake my head; I’m crying too, hurt and angry that he thought I would do that to him.

“Because I couldn’t keep pretending they were you!  I couldn’t keep rutting inta someone thinking about ya and then being disappointed when I opened my eyes!  I decided I was gonna take a chance, try to be with ya....really be with ya.  But then I saw Diavolo lookin’ at ya that night, and I knew he wanted the same thing I did.  And I knew if it came down to a scumbag like me or the literal prince of the Devildom you’d choose him.  Ya woulda been stupid not to.”  

He sighs and wipes at his tears.  “And then the story with Solomon came out and ya did that stupid dare where ya kissed Levi and I just........I just lost it.  And I just wanted to make ya hurt as bad as I was.”  

His eyes meet mine, begging me to understand.

I understand exactly what he’s saying and my heart breaks for him all over again.  “I never would have done that to you Mammon.  If you had said you wanted to be with me......I wanted to be with you so, so much.”

Something like hope flickers in his eyes before it’s snuffed out by something darker.  “Wanting me didn’t stop ya from fucking Diavolo that night though, did it?”

I’m frozen to the spot, feeling like I’ve been plunged into an icy bath, then anger flares up.  

“Fuck you Mammon,” I hiss.  “You hurt me.  Maybe that doesn’t excuse what I did with Diavolo but you treated me like garbage.  You broke my heart.  He was there for me.  So fuck you and your bullshit, because I’m over it.  I fucking hate you.”  

I spin away from him and move towards the doorway.

Something yanks me back hard by the arm, and slams me against the counter.  The muscles in my back and my arm are screaming, and when I look up Mammon is in his demon form, wings spread, staring down at me.  He keeps his grip tight on my arm and lowers his head until we’re eye to eye.

“Ya fucking hate me huh?”  He growls, low and dangerous.  

I stare back at him, refusing to answer.  

He gives a deep chuckle.  “Always so damn stubborn aren’t ya?  Well, you’re gonna have to get over hating me because I fucking love you.”

I barely have time to register what he’s saying before he brings his mouth crashing down on mine. 

[alternateafterthought]

Blood Moon

> Pairing: Werewolf Min Yoongi x Reader

> Summary: There were things Y/N loved and hated. Like any normal person, she loved and hated things. After adding something she once loved to her hate list, it's time for her to have a little fun. And Y/N's blood would allow her to have a lot of fun, as would anyone with powerful magic as she has. But is having fun with a werewolf worth it to a witch?

> Genre: Werewolf!au, romance, smut, angst, fluff, violence

> Warnings: Swearing,

> Word Count: 1511

> A/N: Hey guys... here is the first part of my Min Yoongi Werewolf fic!! This will be a series that will end up having all the BTS members!! But we are going to start with our SUGA!! I would really appreciate your feedback on this fic!! ALSO those who wish to be added to an eventual tag list, please leave a comment or an ask or message me!! Thank you so much for your support!!

Everyone has different love and hate things in their lives. Y/N personally loves Sal's over easy egg and sausage sandwich at Mama Mae's on the East side of town. Sal was Mama Mae's second husband and had the best recipe for sausage, also Y/N had a suspicion he might be a witch. Putting something only magic could bring out in his food, even if he swore up and down it was love.

Oh, right... Y/N had something she hated too. Hate is a strong word, and not to be used lightly in any situation. But fuck that. And fuck that man. He didn't even deserve to be remembered by name. Hate was a simple word to describe him.

And Y/N hated him.

Hated that he put her through this. Hated that everyone knew. Hated that they all know.

They were supposed to be her family. All they did was lie about the fact he was fucking some other chick and then talk about it like they were sorry for her.

Well fuck them.

Y/N was done trying to be the perfect girl. She was going to show them exactly who she really was, and show him exactly what he always missed out on. Y/N wasn't as stupid as they all thought she was, even if some of her decisions weren't always the best. They always turned out right in the end.

Violet and Sana, the only two women in the entire world who cared for Y/N, had both agreed to Y/N's plan. They didn't hesitate to bring out THE dress, pre-drinks now just 8 shots and counting. She looks well put together, a lot more nicer to look at then the mess she felt inside.

"Are you ready?" Violet ask as they stepped out of the uber, everyone lined on the streets looking at them.

It was obvious they didn't belong here. From the way their eyes almost glowed in the dark, from the tattoos that littered their skin. Anyone, even the humans in this town, knew what those markings meant.

What would witches be doing on this side of town?

"I'm so ready to forget my own name."

By 2am, Y/N was in full party mode. A thin layer of sweat covers every inch of expose skin, the last drink really had a buzz to it. Though Y/N had been adding a little something extra to her own drink, something only magic could add. And in the hopes of forgetting his name completely, getting that final break, a little magic was perfect.

The one thing that could completely ruin Y/N's night, just showed up.

He was tall, dark, handsome and so wrong. It was why she fell in love with him. He was so wrong and dangerous and everything her parents warned her against. And anything to rebel against her parents was always what she chose.

She should have listened to them.

"Y/N..." Sana now stood in front of Y/N, Violet holding onto her arm as they stood in the middle of the dance floor. "It's okay, right?"

"He can flaunt her and fuck her all he wants." Y/N looked between her two concerned best friends. "Tonight is about letting go."

"You want another drink?" Sana asked with a knowing smile.

"Or do you want that wolf who hasn't stopped staring at you since we walked in?" Violet gestured behind Y/N.

Y/N followed Violet's line of sight over her shoulder and caught the eyes of someone very powerful. Everyone in this town knows the 7. The unmistakable intensity that could only be Min Yoongi stared at her.

Y/N wouldn't say it was unfortunate, but there was a history there that not even Y/N wanted to touch tonight. She knew why he seeked her, why he seemed to be calling her with his eyes, but what's a girl to do?

With the look of the biggest mistake of her life, walking her way with a cocky smile. It was safer for her to move towards Yoongi who sat in a VIP section with the rest of the 7. Each of them seeming to enjoy the night, dancing, drinks being passed around, women throwing themselves at them.

A few knowing steps away from her friends, Y/N smirked at them, their code kicking in. They didn't have to look for her anymore, they just had to enjoy their night. She would handle herself. Y/N was a big girl.

Before Y/N could fully make her way towards the 7, someone reached out and gripped her arm. Y/N knew who it was, she could smell him. It used to be the most calming smell in the world to her. Now it was just bitter and made her sick.

"Y/N..."

Y/N ripped her arm out of his grasp, turning face to face with the man in question. He at least had the decency to look sad. It just didn't reach his eyes.

"What?" Y/N eyed him, not caring that the closest people to them had stopped, trying to listen in on the obvious tension.

"What are you doing here?" He ask. "You know your not allowed here."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, leaning back on her right leg, hands on her hips. The skin tight dress a second skin, helping to keep her body together, keeping her heart from bursting out of her chest. The heels she wore making her the same height as the man in front of her.

"Oh baby..." Y/N smiled mischievously. "You really don't know... do you?"

"Know what?" He asked confused.

"3 years. 3 years together and your still so stupid." Y/N shook her head, her hair moving, slightly stuck to her sweaty body.

"Is there a problem here?" The deep, familiar voice asked from behind her.

Everything around seemed to become quiet. Y/N just realised the music had stopped playing, the drinks had stopped flowing. Y/N saw that Sana and Violet stood closer to her, eyeing the fact that this idiot in front of her actual bought friends. He really bought witches to a wolf bar.

"Who are you?" He asked the man behind behind Y/N.

Y/N just sighed before the man moved closer to her, placing a hand around her waist. He pulled Y/N towards him, and Y/N let him. She knew the game. She helped invent the game. It was the only thing to save her now.

"He a friend of yours?" Yoongi's deep voice ask in Y/N's ear, loud enough for him to hear.

"No," Y/N finally turned to look at Yoongi, so close to her. "Just a mistake."

"You have one chance to ask him to leave. Or I ask him." Yoongi warned, Y/N saw the rest of his pack moving to back him up.

"He's not my business." Y/N shrugged, looking back at the obviously angry man in front of them. "I'll be sitting over there."

Yoongi saw Y/N point towards where he had been sitting. He was just glad she didn't blame him. He would do anything to give his life up for Y/N to have her sister back.

Y/N saw it, she saw it before every wolf in the club did. He thought he was quick, thought he was sly enough to get away with it. Yet everyone seemed to forget... Y/N was the one everyone should fear.

His power flared, his eyes, his markings, his hands glowed a violent green. He surged forward and attacked Yoongi as Y/N stepped out of the way. But Y/N is quicker, she was always quicker. Spinning and holding up her hands, a vibrant purple blocking him.

Yoongi, Violet, Sana, the 7, the entire club of wolves were in shock. A witch princess just protected a wolf against another witch.

He knew, Y/N knew, he would never be able to beat her in any fight. She could easily kick his ass as a joke. So how would he be in a fight against the woman he cheated on, made a joke out of. He'd never survive.

"You have a no magic rule on the premise, right?" Y/N asked, her hands still glowing purple, letting everyone know her status.

"We have a no attack rule." Yoongi's hands were now on Y/N's waist, moving her to the side, but not out of her shield to block him. "He has to be disposed of."

"Dude, I told you not to use your magic here." One of his friends whispered, panicking.

"It's okay. We'll leave." Another of his friends spoke as they backed away, pulling him along.

He realised only then, that Y/N was completely welcomed and protected here. Witch princess or not, she was friends with these wolves, with the 7. He was just a simple, lower witch, lucky to be accepted and nurtured in her coven.

He knew he messed up, and he couldn't turn back time to erase what he did. All he could do was walk out of the club, looking back at the woman he stupidly let go. The woman who was in the arms and protection of the 7.

The woman protected by the feared Min Yoongi.

[aquariusrunes]

The Superfriends AU (part 11)

Her eyes stung every time a flash went off, the bright lights reflecting off the water surrounding her. She wasn’t sure when her migraine had started, but it was now throbbing and making her dizzy. And her stomach? Turning. It was like all her insides were knotted together, constricting every few minutes to remind her how much pain she was in. 

It’d been like this all morning, pretty much since Damian received the video from one of her friends. She, her cousin, Adrien and Chloé had all watched it together. It was brutal. Marinette had never seen Rose slaughter someone so seamlessly. She knew her small friend would be upset once finding out about Lila’s lies, and she knew they needed something big and loud to make clear Damian had never even met Lila, to make sure he and Colin would be protected from the girl. But it felt a little too far for her.

It all just felt like too much. Really her luck was incredible. After months of planning, all the sacrifices she’d made, the battles she’d fought, the friends she had to lose and earn back, the ones she could never get back, it was all meant to lead up to this big moment. The moment where she finally proved just how much of a liar Lila was, as well as show everyone that the girl was not only evil, because she definitely was. But also that she was working with Hawkmoth. 

Now she had to rethink her whole plan. 

She wished Lila had never even thought about Damian Wayne. While she was glad to have Mylène, Rose and Juleka back, it was just such a setback. She needed Lila cocky, confident. She needed her to feel on top of the world to fall for what she had planned. 

And now the Italian girl was at rock bottom. With only Sabrina, Alya and Nino left. Though Marinette had to seriously wonder how much longer Nino’s cover would last. If Lila didn’t know he was a mole by now, she had to be close to figuring it out. Lila was many things, like evil incarnate, but she wasn’t stupid. 

And then there was Adrien.

He’d looked so hurt after watching the video, betrayed almost. And yes, this technically wasn’t taking the ‘high road’, like he’d once suggested, but surely he had to see that she had no choice. She didn’t want to publicly humiliate the girl! Okay that was a lie, she very much wanted Lila to get her just deserts, to go through all the pain Marinette had to endure. However, her plan was not to get even, she’d come to peace with the fact that they would never be even. Because Marinette had bigger fish to fry. And she was so close to proving Lila was working with Hawkmoth! She could practically taste it. But now, now that victory felt farther away than ever. And so did her partner. 

The camera lights flashed again, several more photos being taken. She was trying her best to do as the photographer asked, but it was a tad difficult to model when you didn’t have any prior experience, and you were chained to a lake. 

Marinette’s outfit was, of course, gorgeous. Though it did make her feel a little exposed. She was in a white sleeveless tube top, that was essentially just a strip of cloth covering her breasts. She wore a low set skirt made up of strips of metallic silver and black fabric, and in her currently kneeling position the entirety of her thighs were exposed. A black shawl hung off her elbows, she’d tried to use it to better cover herself earlier but had been instructed to keep it off her shoulders. 

Her hair was placed up for this photo shoot, into a messy rose bun that left her bangs to fall in her face. A silver daedem placed on her forehead with a gemstone that matched her eyes. She hadn’t been given shoes for this outfit and walking around the studio barefoot was an experience she didn’t really want to repeat. Her wrists were bound by intricately detailed long silver cuff bracelets, which were attached to sparkling silver chains. The chains disappeared beneath the water. 

She was sitting on a semi visible platform in the middle of the set that was really, just a small man made pond. But she really couldn’t tell how deep the water went, though she doubted it could be too deep, unless Edna had cut out part of the floor to make it deeper, which she wouldn’t put past her aunt. A fake forest backdrop was behind her and flaking both her sides. She’d been sitting on the ground for what felt like hours, but the photographer still didn’t seem satisfied. 

“Maybe it’s the earrings.” A woman suggested, she was looking at the photos that had already been taken. The current pair that adorned Marinette’s ears where big dangling silver ones that ended in sapphires. They would sweep against her neck or shoulders whenever she moved. 

“I like the earring.” She heard her aunt say. 

“Oh I love them.” The woman immediately agreed. “I just meant the way they are reflecting off the water.”

“I like that effect as well.” 

“Oh I love that effect.” 

She couldn't help the eyeroll. It was ridiculous the way people kissed her aunt’s ass. It was honestly no wonder Edna asked her for her opinions, at least she knew Marinette would be honest with her. 

“Maybe we should take a little break?” Violet suggested from behind the women. “Let Marinette rest for a moment while we sort out what needs to be changed?” 

“Fine fine.” Edna waved the girl off. 

It had freaked Marinette out when she was first hooked up to the platform, the way it moved from the middle of the water to the edge, it freaked her out when it suddenly started moving this time as well. She really wished these people would start giving her warnings about stuff. 

Once at the edge it only took a moment for someone to come and unchain her, then she was helped to her feet and off the platform entirely. Violet was waiting for her with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry about all this.” She whispered to the younger girl. “I know you can get overwhelmed easily.” 

“Oh, I’m fine.” Marinette tried to force a smile to reassure the girl, but she was sure it came off as anything but. 

“Are you sure?” Violet asked. “That your fine, I mean. You’ve seemed a little off all morning.” 

“Oh.” Marinette looked down, Violet had looped their arms together and was leading her back to the makeup chairs. “I’m fine, I guess, I just...well.” 

“It’s okay Marinette, you don’t have to tell me, but I’m a good listener if you need to talk with someone.” 

“Thanks Violet.” Her smile was a little stronger this time. “I just have a bad headache, and a bit of a stomach ache. I’m sure it’ll go away soon.” 

Violet gave her a considering look before turning and hollering out. “Aisha, could you come here a moment?” Soon a tall black woman with hair dyed every color of the rainbow was in front of them, a headset on and clipboard in her hands. 

“Yeah boss?” She spoke with an accent Marinette didn’t recognize. 

“Could you go and grab Marinette here a coke with crush ice?” 

Aisha smiled at Marinette before nodding to Violet. “You got it.” The girl swaggered her way towards the elevators, she had one of the strongest walks the bluenette had ever seen. 

“Coke and crushed ice, Parr family remedy for headaches and stomach aches.” Violet turned back to face Marinette. “But, if it doesn't help, please let Edna or I know. If we need to eat into another safety day-” 

“I’m sure I’ll be fine.” The younger girl reassured the older one as best she could. “It's probably just everything catching up with me.” It wasn’t technically a lie. Yes everything was finally catching up with her, but it wasn't anything involving Edna or this week that was causing her distress. 

“But you’ll let me know if it doesn’t get better, right?” 

“Of course.” Violet had always been so nice, whenever Marinette was near her. She was kind of like the big sister she’d always wanted. The bluenette watched as Violet walked off towards her aunt, probably to inform her of Marinette’s troubles. Hopefully her aunt would just blow them off as nerves and not come pry. Her plans needed reworking enough, the last thing she needed was Protective Mama Bear Edna getting involved. 

“You alright?” Her cousin’s slightly concerned voice was startling to the girl previously lost in thought. She raised a hand to her heart, trying to calm it’s rapid pace as she looked over to Damian, now seated in the chair next to her. 

“Fine.” 

“That’s a lie.” He crossed his arms, turning the chair to better face her. “What’s going on?” 

“Nothing, I just don’t feel great.”

“That’s not nothing Marinette,” Damian’s face started contorting into what those who knew him meant worry, but those who didn’t would only see as pure anger. “Are you sick? Do you have a fever?” He raised his hand to her forehead, which she was quick to knock away. 

“Seriously Damian, I’m fine. I’m not sick, I don’t have a fever. I just feel crappy, okay?” She turned her head away from him. Edna was the last thing she needed right now, the second to last was Damian prying into her business. 

“Is it about what happened this morning?” He asked, voice quieter. “You didn’t seem even half as excited as Bourgeois did when the video showed up.” 

“Sort of.” She shrugged, pulling the shall up to better cover herself. “I don’t know. It’s a few things I guess.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” His voice was quiet. He wasn’t good at this sort of stuff, she knew that. But whenever he had a problem she’d make him talk about it till he either figured out what to do or started to feel better. It was sweet of him to try and return the gesture. 

“Not really.” She laughed lightly. “But it’s sweet, what you’re trying to do. I appreciate it a lot Gremlin.” 

“I’ve never seen you look quite so down before, you’re kind of worrying me.” He placed his hand on her wrist. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” he leaned closer. “If you don’t want to talk to me I could go get someone else, Adrien?” 

“No.” She answered far too quickly, and she knew it the moment the word left her mouth. Well, the cat was out of the bag now. 

Damian’s face quickly changed to one of scepticism and stubbornness, his eyes quickly scanning the room till they found the blonde model far away having a conversation with his father. 

“What did he do?” His voice was a little too threatening for Marinette’s liking.

“He didn’t do anything Damian, really.” 

“You’re lying.” 

“I’m not!” 

“Then you aren’t telling the whole truth.” His jaw set as his eyes came back to bore into Marinette’s soul. “What’s going on?” He demanded. 

“I just…” Oh great, her voice cracked, she was going to break down. She needed out of this conversation and she needed out of it quickly. She’d been stewing in her own thoughts for too long. She couldn’t talk about it now, she’d have a complete meltdown. 

“Marinette.” Both dark haired teens looked up, view obstructed by one Chloé Bourgeois dressed in shimmering golds and bronzes, her arms crossed and hip cocked. “Edna wants you.” She was talking to Marinette, but her eyes were locked on Damian. 

Chloé’s outfit resembled Marinette's in that the top was just a simple white tube top that barely covered anything. Instead of a skirt Chloé wore pants, high waisted and made of unconnected gold and bronze metallic straps, giving the outfit a swaying movement every time she moved. A thick golden belt covered her abdomen, matching the golden gauntlets that adorned her wrists, and a gaundy golden necklace hung from her shoulders. She also wore a daedem, but her gem was a much darker blue. Her hair was down and had been teased to give it more volume around her. 

“Okay.” Marinette was quick to get out of her chair and follow the blonde to where Edna was waiting. It was strange, walking with Chloé like this, but what was stranger was when the girl took her hand and squeezed it.

“Just keep it together for like twenty more minutes. Then we’ll break for lunch.” Chloé whispered, releasing her hand and taking a step back. Marinette’s eyes were wide as she watched the girl turn and walk away. 

Had she just been comforted by Chloé? 

“Good! Dahling come here!” Marinette was pulled from her thoughts as Edna grabbed her wrist and physically pulled her forward to look down at the screen where her pictures were waiting to be examined. “What do you think of these?” She asked, eyes scrutinizing. 

Marinette carefully went through a handful of photos, trying to pretend that about ten people weren’t staring at her as she did. She pushed everything that had been eating away at her down as far as it would go, focusing solely on the problem at hand. 

“I don’t like the colors.” 

“How dare you.” 

“Edna’s colors are genius.” 

“Who does this girl even think she is.” 

The area around her erupted with criticism the moment her opinion was voiced. But it didn’t matter what everyone around her was currently saying, what mattered was that Edna was now staring at the photos and considering what she had said. 

“What about the colors bother you?” The woman asked, effectively shutting everyone else up. 

“I think it’s a little dark?” She shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess, if I had been the one to design it, I would have gone with some pastels for the skirt, like lavender and sky blue, maybe a darker blue too. But if you had wanted to keep the dark, then I would suggest making the top black. And maybe, make the straps of the skirt a little softer too, I don’t know how committed you are to the metallic material, but maybe changing it out for tulle or silk. Just to make it more flowy, it would also make it look better with the calm of the water.” 

“Violet.” Enda called and the girl seemed to appear out of nowhere. “How long would it take to make those alterations?” 

Violet quickly went to work on her tablet. “Well, ma’am, they wouldn't be alterations, it would be a whole new garment. But seeing as we’d be using the same patterns and measurements, if we got the sewing room to work now, it would probably be done after lunch.” 

“Order it.” Edna snapped her fingers. 

“Yes ma’am.” 

Edna turned to Marinette, smiling. “Thank you dear, your input is invaluable as always.” The small woman then turned to the room, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone! Seeing as how one of our outfits still isn’t here yet, we will break for an early lunch and pick this up afterwards. Oh and Violet, call your brother for me Dahling, tell him I’ll pay double the normal fee, I’m tired of waiting.”

“Yes ma’am.” 

… 

How had she gotten here? 

One minute, she was in the elevator, tentatively sipping a glass of soda, the next she was magically in Chloé Bourgeois’s room, sitting on the girl’s bed with a tray of cafeteria food in front of her. 

She had wanted to avoid Damian. He was angry now, and she knew that anger was going to be directed at Adrien. But she didn’t know how to properly avert it. If she told Damian the whole truth, he’d be even more upset. Nothing pissed him off more than someone beng complacent. But she also wanted to avoid Adrien. He just looked so disappointed after watching that video, she couldn’t face him yet. 

She still wasn’t sure how she ended up in her current predicament. She had gotten her food, and then Chloé had grabbed her hand again, second time today, that’s more physical contact in one day then she’s had with the girl in a year. The blonde dragged her off towards the elevators. And then they were in Chloé’s room, sitting on her bed with their lunches. 

“Okay,” Chloé dropped a straw into her glass. “What’s going on?” 

“I-uh, what do you mean?” Marinette asked. 

“Don’t play dumb Dupain-Cheng.” The girl gave her a pointed look. “You were seconds away from a total break down back there. And you looked terrified of both Damian and Adrien downstairs. What’s going on?” 

“Why do you care?” The bluenette asked, eyeing the girl suspiciously. “Why would you care?” 

Chloé looked a little taken aback by the question. And a little insulted, but did she honestly not expect Marinette to question her motives. Eventually the blonde girl huffed, setting her drink down on her tray before crossing her arms. “I’m trying to be a better person, okay.” She rolled her eyes. “Forgive me for attempting to help when someone is clearly holding back tears.” 

“Why?”

“I told you I’m trying to-”

“Why are you trying to be a better person?” Chloé looked even more unprepared for that question. 

The blonde sighed, turning away from Marinette and pushing some teased hair behind her ear. “It’s always come easy to you.” 

“What?” 

“Being nice. Making friends. Smiling without a care in the world.” Chloé rolled her eyes. “When I was little, all I had was Adrien. He was kept away from the world for so long, but so was I. I didn’t get to go to public school until I was seven. Your first year of school in Paris was mine too. I didn’t know how to socialize or anything. All I knew was being loud got me attention and most of the time what I wanted. When I started school I only had one person who I got along with, and then you transfered into the class and everyone decided they liked you more, including her.” Chloé looked down. “I was a bitch because I was jealous and hurt, but recently I’ve been making some emotional breakthroughs and thus have decided to be a better person.” She huffed out the last sentence rather quickly. “So, what’s your problem today, cause that’s what we’re here to talk about.” 

“Oh Chloé,” Marinette set her hand atop the blonde girl’s. “I never meant for that to happen. I tried really hard to be your friend back then too.” 

Chloé rolled her eyes. “Yeah well, I kind of hated you the moment Alix decided she wanted to sit next to you instead.” 

Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed. “Wait.” She held up her hand. “Are you telling me, there was a time when Alix and you were best friends?” 

“Duh.” Chloé gave her a pointed look. “Well, not besties, but we were almost friends before you transfered. Why do you think I never mess with her?” 

“But the watch-”

“Okay, that was a total accident. And had I known it was Alix’s watch I so would have left it alone, I was only messing with it because I thought it was Adri’s.” 

“Oh my god.” Marinette sat back. She was racking her brain but she literally could not think of a single time Chloé had targeted Alix. “This is unbelievable.” 

“But back on track.” Chloé clapped her hands. “What’s going on? You should be on cloud nine after Lila’s epic take down, but you have literally looked so pensive all day.” She moved to open up her silverware. 

“I haven’t looked pensive.” 

“You have.” Chloé stabbed her salad with her fork. “Spill it Dupain-Cheng.” 

Marinette stared down at her plate. She hadn’t been that hungry so she just grabbed a premade sandwich and a muffin. But looked at them now, they didn’t seem that appetizing. She mainly kept herself occupied with the glass she had been handed after changing back into her sweats. 

“Back before people started believing Lila was lying, it was just me going against her. But someone else knew the truth too.” She took a sip from her glass. “Adrien had recommended I take the high road, he said her lies weren’t hurting anyone and he was sure things would turn out fine eventually.” 

“Oh that sweet naive boy.” The bluenette nodded in agreement. 

“This morning, after we watched the video, I don’t know. He just looked so disappointed. I just can’t help but feel like I let him down. Like I should have handled it differently or something. Especially considering he’s been walking around like a kicked puppy all day. I just don’t know what to do.” 

Chloé sighed, setting down her fork. 

“Okay, well first off. Adrien gave you shit advice.” Marinette’s head popped up at her harsh words. “But they are very on brand for Adrikins. He obviously views Lila in the same light as Garbage Gabe. As long as Adrien stays quiet and plays along, things run smooth with his dear old daddy. He probably thought the same rules would apply to Lila.” 

“Garbage Gabe?” Marinette asked. 

“Look, Adrien is sensitive. Yes. But he is also bad at confrontation. You just need to talk this out with him. If you explain that she gave you no choice, he’ll be fine. And besides, even Adrien has to admit that she was getting out of control.” 

“But did I have no choice? Was there no other option for me to pick?” Marinette rubbed at her arms. “Maybe the situation was the same as with you, if I’d just given her a chance-”

“You gave me a chance Marinette, remember, we just established that.” Chloé leaned back on her hands. “And Lila and I’s situations are very different. I was a bitch because I have trouble making friends. Lila is a bitch for shits and giggles. She has had no trouble befriending people at all, and she was still awful to you.” 

“But maybe I did something-”

“You did. You didn’t fall for her bull.” Chloé pointed out. “Because you weren’t falling for her tricks, she had to eliminate you before you could expose her. She runs on self preservation Marinette. I wouldn't be surprised if she was already spinning a web of venom to get back half her followers.” 

Marinette’s eyes went back down to her tray. Locked on her poor pathetic sandwich. She felt a lot like that sandwich right now. 

“Marinette, you can sit here and feel bad all day long. You can go back up to that shoot and do your thing while feeling awful, just like you were this morning. But the fact of the matter is, you aren’t going to feel better until you talk to Adrien.” Chloé leaned forward, taking one of Marinette’s hands again. “He doesn’t hate you Marinette, he could never. Trust me. I’ve only seen Adrien hate two people our whole lives. My mother, and this no name who used to work under Gabriel when we were younger. If you go to him and ask to talk he will listen.” 

“But what do I even say?” 

“Say that you’re sorry if you hurt his feelings, it wasn’t your intent. But you had to do something to stop Lila. Maybe it got a little bigger than you anticipated, maybe if you could go back and change it you would, but you’d still do it.” Chloé squeezed her hand. “Come on Dupain-Cheng, I have seen you take on so much, do not let one little model scare you into a panic attack.” 

“I’m not scared of him.” Marinette rolled her eyes. “I just don’t want him to, well, I just don’t like the idea of him thinking bad about me.” 

“He could never think badly about you Marinette.” Again Chloé squeezed her hand. “Believe it or not, I think you’re actually his favourite person.” 

At that Marinette blushed, pulling her hand away. She quickly snapched up her drink, sticking the straw in her mouth. She took a few sips. “I am not.” She whispered, chewing on the straw to relieve some of the nerves coiling in her stomach. 

Chloé shook her head, smirk gracing her lips. “Yeah, you are.” She crossed her arms. “Marinette please, he’s like head over heels for you, it’s obvious. I once saw that boy hold the door open for like sixteen people just waiting for you to get there so he could hold it for you. It was a little pathetic, but i guess kind of cute.” Marinette’s face felt hot, she was sure it was bright red by now. 

“W-we aren’t like that.” She laughed. “We’r-I mean he just sees us as friends. We’re just friends.” She tried to get her stammer under control, hoping her voice came out with more authority than she felt.

“Oh god, you aren’t on that now too, are you?” Chloé asked, eyes wide and slightly horrified. “I swear I can not listen to another person drone on about being just friends with their true love.” 

“T-true love?” 

Shit. She’d taken it too far. Chloé knew by the girl’s wide eyes. There were going to be questions now. Damn it, why had she let Jon get in her head. She never should have talked to Marinette, she should have just convinced Adrien to do it. 

“What do you mean by that?” The bluenette asked, straw falling out of her mouth. 

Chloé had two options, come clean or bullshit like she never has before. 

“That depends…” Chloé whispered. “We have two options Marinette, option one is I rock your world like it’s never been rocked before and possibly destroy this tentative friendship I’m trying to create, or option two, things stay the same and I give you a heaping pile of bullshit.” Chloé bit her lip. “I’m also trying to be more honest, but if you’d like me to lie right now, I so can.” 

“Define rock my world?” Marinette’s face suddenly became much more serious. The bluenette knew that sometimes lying was necessary, like were her identity was concerned. And also, sometimes the truth was just hard for people to stomach. 

“Let’s just say, it involves kwamis.” That was both not safe and safe for Chloé to say. It would get her point across clearly, and being a past miraculous wielder herself, she would be privy to the knowledge of their existence. Marinette would undoubtedly understand what the blonde was trying to say. 

The bluenette’s face dropped into surprise and horror. “Let’s go with the bullshit.” 

“Awsome.” Chloé clasped her hands together. “Adri has a diary and whenever I’m at his house I sneak into his room and read it.” She smiled largely. 

“We are going to have to talk about this later,” Marinette pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes closing as she let out a sigh. “But honestly I’ve felt like exploding all day long and I don’t think I can take anything else right now.” She whispered. “God my head hurts so much.” 

“Do you want some ibuprofen?” Chloé asked, already standing form the bed. 

“Yes please.” 

Chloé quickly went to her bathroom and collected it from her toiletry bag. She sat down closer to Marinette before handing her the bottle. “This is so my fault, I definitely slipped up there.” 

“Again,” Marinette took the pill bottle and dumped a few out into her hand. “A conversation for later.” She swallowed with the aid of her soda. “Oh my god.” She whispered. “I just-how?” She looked at Chloé, wide eyed. 

“Well I-wait, I mean, do you want to do this right now? We’ve got like twenty minutes before we have to be back and you have not even touched your food. We can talk later?” 

Marinette looked back down at her sad sandwich. If there was any hope of her surviving the rest of this shoot she would need to have something in her stomach. But she also had so many questions. How had Chloé known, does Chloé know? Maybe this is a misunderstanding. Maybe what Chloé is trying to say is that she knows Marinette was once Multimouse, and not that she’s ladybug. Though what that has to do with Adrien loving her she wasn’t sure. Oh god, did Chloé know about Adrien too? But how? This didn’t seem possible.

“Marinette?” 

“Yeah?” 

“You look like you’re about to pass out, please eat something.” Chloé pushed her tray closer to the girl. 

“Okay.” Marinette picked up her sandwich, eyes unfocused as her mind raced. “Chloé, I have so many questions.” She said before taking a bite. 

“If you want, I can explain while you eat?” Chloé moved farther back onto the bed, putting the lid back on her salad. She’d finished most of it while Marinette was talking earlier. 

“Yeah, that might be good.” The bluenette whispered. 

“Okay,” Chloé took a deep breath. “So, I guess it all started when Nathaniel got akumatized.” 

_______________________________________________________________________

(part 1)  (part 2)  (part 2.5)  (part 3)  (part 4)  (part 5)  (part 6) (part 7) (part 8)  (part 9)  (part 10)  (part 11) - Here (part 12)

Photoshoot Part 3! Thank you all so much for the likes, reblogs, and especially the comments! They are such huge mood boosters for me, they really change the whole course of my day and I appreciate them so much. Sorry this part is a little shorter, writing has kind of been kicking my ass this week. Plus with finals I’ve just been too stressed to write. But luckily I was able to find some time to unwind and get something done on this. I’m really excited for what the next few parts should bring (if everything comes out the way it is in my head right now). As always if you have any questions about the story or AU feel free to ask, I love getting them and will happily answer any question you got (even if it’s not about this AU)! And if you want to be tagged let me know! 

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[allyvampirelass29]

A Shorter Way to Save Her

A NOS4A2 Fanfiction By: Allyssa J. Watkins

"Maggie, you've really done it this time, are you kidding me!? Just tell me this is a prank...... Hey you, Curlicue, she's kidding right.......?"

Vic McQueen and Maggie Leigh shared a glance, the purple-haired girl fighting her smile, but the fabulously florescent Mags, wasn't fast enough to stifle her snort with a cough.

"Yeah, we get it, you're a real crack up, Barney Fife, the name's Vic, okay, try to remember it? And no she ain't lost it, we're asking you for a favour."

"You're ASKING me to run a NATIONWIDE APB on a missing person, with no physical description, no last seen, not a damn thing to go on, except a lousy first name. Do you have ANY idea how many Allyssa's there are in the world!? This gaffe of hilarious proportions must be your guys' idea of a bad joke, huh? Pull one over on Old Joe, is that it? 'Fess up, was it Koalski or Maguire, put you two up to this?

"Joe, relax, okay?" Maggie sighed trying to calm everybody down. "I know it sounds crazy, I know we're trying to make bricks without clay here, but this girl is in real trouble, and she needs our help! It had been a huge risk getting Joe involved, Maggie knew that, and as dangerous as it was tangling yet another person she cared about in Charlie Manx's twisted web, he'd helped them catch a huge break before with that Wraith part in Denver, and with no leads, and dwindling time, stopping Allyssa Jane Doe from becoming the dreaded Mrs. Manx, was going to take all the help they could get. They'd done all they could with the impossible. It was time to turn to more conventional methods, to a force neither of them had ever really understood. The real, the possible, the police.

"Joe, please...... We're not asking for a miracle here, just something, anything you can do. Shake a few trees, rattle some cages, just help us find her....... before he does."

"I knew this was about that damned Wraith!" Joe sighed, frustrated. You girls need to give this up. Go to the mall, go on dates, live your lives! You're too young to be chasing criminal kidnappers, and too old for ghost stories. Charlie Manx is a myth, Kids, he ain't real, he can't hurt you. There is no Christmasland. There is no Santa Claus."

Maggie could sense the anger rising, coming off of Vic McQueen in waves, and she reached for her but it was too late........ Vic lunged, slamming her fists on the desk, rattling it, her eyes screaming violence. "Not real? Huh, WHAT a relief, Joe, GOD, that's swell!!! That means my boyfriend ain't dead, he didn't burn up alive in that damned car!!! Hailey's safe in her bed at home, instead of at the mercy of some sicko cautionary tale, her mother's alive, her freaking cat's alive, and I'm NOT fighting for my life, my sanity, my whole damn mind!!!!" She fumed, her eyes bleeding with pain, as the skeptical Sheriff was struck silent by her outrage. "You listen to me, you condescending piece of SHIT!!! Charlie Manx is real, Charlie Manx is EVIL, like you ain't even ready for, and unless you want to spend the rest of your career, watching mothers lose their kids, chasing your tail, because you can't wrap your head around anyone REAL being this damned effed up, you are going to help us get this girl, and save her from a hell, she ain't never coming back from........"

Joe stared Vic in the eyes, his expression hard, leaning over the desk, and in that moment Vic McQueen didn't care if she got arrested, she was so damn sick of Charlie getting away with actual murder, disappearing into a haze of obscurity, being written off as a Grimm Fairytale. Somebody had to SEE him, even if she had to make them see him. The devil was real, and he drove a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith........

Vic didn't even flinch, glaring back at Joe, as he slammed a thick, red binder onto the desktop, never taking his eyes from hers, rifling through the laminated pages, and finally she glanced down at the whirl of pictures. "Do you know how many Missing Persons I have right now, just in the state of Massachusetts?" He asked, his voice low, emotionless, watching Vic's rage crack, as she shook her wildly curly head. "Ninety-two...... That's ninety-two mothers crying over their children, that's ninety-two people that ain't never coming home. How about the entire US, huh? Try, fifteen thousand, two hundred, and seven active cases. All of them, every one, with a full name, physical description, last seen, known associates, and still just as lost, as the mysterious name you pulled out of a hat. You want my help? Reach into your bag of tricks, there, and get me more information."

"Vic, can I talk to you a sec?" Maggie asked, calmly, and Vic reluctantly relented, scowling, as Maggie ushered her out of Joe's bland, depressing office, into the bustling police station.

"WHAT the HELL was that!?" Maggie asked furiously, clutching the purple velvet of her scrabble bag, raising her arms emphatically. "What part of, hey let's ask my friend, THE SHERIFF, for help, translated into you assaulting an officer!? Are you CRAZY!? We have a window here, Vic, a window that is about to be slammed shut in our faces!!! We don't have time for this troubled teen, fight the man, bullshit!!!!"

"This was a mistake, Maggie, I told you this was a mistake!!!! He thinks we're both freaking cracked, he doesn't believe Manx is real, let alone a threat, and he doesn't give a damn about this girl. Okay, yeah, maybe I got a little crazy in there, but somebody has to, Mags! One Manx has made my life a freaking Stephen King novel, okay, a She-Manx helping him grab up all these kids, that's only going to make things a hundred times worse!!! We gotta stop him, and we gotta do it now. I know I should know better, but have you tried asking the bag her last name?

Maggie's jaw clenched, her soft features hardening and she shook the bag in Vic's face clearly insulted. "Only about a THOUSAND times!!! Are you serious!? Do YOU want to try it!? Go ahead, be my guest, hell, keep it, if you think you can do better, but I just keep getting the SAME four letters over and over, and over. SPOILER ALERT, it's MANX!!!"

The silence spread between them, the lack of sound dispelling the anger, police officers passing by, shuffling papers, answering phones, trying to look busy as they tried not to wonder what had caught these two girls, and the Boss in such a stir. If they only knew........

"Mags...... hey, Maggie, I'm sorry, I get my mouth from my Ma, and I'm at the edge here, feelin' pretty desperate. Manx has taken everything from me, turned me into a damn basket case, I probably should have just stayed in that asylum, okay, because I don't even know what is real anymore....... But if I can save her, if I can stop him from doing the same, maybe even worse to this innocent girl, I gotta give it all I got......"

Maggie sighed, lowering her arm, and the bag, giving Vic a small, apologetic smile. "You're really living up to your name today, Brat, you know that, right?" She teased, and Vic smiled too, her eyes lighter, less intense. "Of course, I forgive you, Jerk, and I don't blame you, okay? We're both a little tense right now, and GOD, if we don't have every right to be!!!! There hasn't been a Manx sighting in months, couple that with being sleep-deprived from the night terrors, creatively spent from the search, add one crazy cryptic, terrifying message, it's a wonder we're not both in that creepy ass asylum!"

Vic snickered, still smiling. "Charlie Manx, making chicks crazy since 1885."

Maggie laughed, with a clever eyebrow raise. "You know it. C'mon, let's go back in, and at least try to play nice this time? I don't have enough money for your bail, today, Curlicue." She laughed again, playfully punching Vic's shoulder, as she turned her back around, towards the door. "Who knows, maybe your Dirty Harry moment inspired Poor Old Joe. We'll find a way to draw Manx out, and once he's proven to be flesh and bone instead of whispers and smoke, he won't be able to hide behind the guise of folklore anymore. The Bride of Chuck- I mean Charlie," Maggie snickered, "Might be just what we've been waiting for to take him down."

Vic stopped cold, her smile fading, snapping her chewing gum, as her eyes sharpened with razor focus. Holy Shit....... She grabbed Maggie's arm in a mad panic, her eyes widening. "Bride........" She whispered in barely a sound, her grip tightening. "That's it...... Mags, that's FREAKING it....... We got him."

Maggie cocked her head warily, confused, and more than a little freaked. "What's it? How do we have-? Vic are you, okay? Is it happening again, are you having another vision? Here........" She nervously looked around, hurrying Vic to a far corner, putting her arm around her defensively, her voice trailing off, as life in the police station continued to happen all around them, arrests, police investigations, parking tickets, all so mundane, while time itself had stopped dead for Vic McQueen.

Vic's smile returned, gripping Maggie's arm, her dark eyes crazed. "That son of a BITCH!!! Maggie, we did it, YOU did it! Don't you see? Our guy Charlie's getting married, and as much as I hate sayin' it, I know that SICKO, and if he's getting himself hitched, you can be sure as hell, he's gonna do it right. It's gotta take, it's gotta be legal, meaning........."

The colour drained from Maggie's mocha skin, her eyes wide with a wonderful, horrible realization. "Oh my GOD....... A license....... A M-Marriage License. We did it....... He just screwed himself, because we've got a name, an a-age, you can't be legally married unless you're......"

"Eighteen," Vic breathed, the gears in her head on overdrive. "She's gotta be at least eighteen, and somethin' tells me, that bastard Manx likes 'em young."

"Okay, think, let's estimate an age range here, let's say, eighteen to twenty-five. Maggie shook her head, tucking a stray violet curl behind her ear. "That cocky Christmas-Loving IDIOT, actually filed for a real world marriage license. Jane Austen wasn't kidding........ "We are all FOOLS in love........." We have got to tell Joe!!!!"

Vic nodded enthused, her grin smug, both of them, rushing back into Joe's office side by side, and Maggie, smacked right into him, as he cursed loudly and a lot, just barely able to recover the fumble on his piping hot cup of coffee.

"DAMN IT, MARGARET!!!!! Give it a rest, will ya!? I can't help you, okay? And you, I'd be really nice to me right now, Annie, I lock up little girls that get mouthy with cops."

"Sun'll come out tomorrow, Joe, but one more crack about my hair and my mean right hook's comin' out today."

"Joe! First off, don't be creepy it really doesn't work for you, and second, I need you to go through all of the Marriage Licenses from this month, every single state, that has the name Allyssa on them!!!!"

Joe stared back blankly, more confused than ever, slightly slack-jawed. "I'm sorry, did you just say........ Marriage License? What the hell- first this kid's kidnapped, and now she's getting married, well, which is it!?"

"Both, Joe, if Manx gets his way!" Vic snapped back, rushing behind Joe's desk to fire up the computer, pressing buttons.

"Hey! Knock it off! You ARE trouble, that's State Property, don't touch that!"

"I wouldn't have to, if you'd do your job, Officer, now how about gettin' on that database, huh? I'll say please if you want, or y'know other magic words."

Joe sank down, frustrated, in his office chair, eying Vic suspiciously. "I don't like this one, Maggie, she's a bad seed. Hey, I type your name in, Shirley Temple, any arrests come up?"

"Oh sure," Vic quipped back, her voice rife with sarcasm, leaning down to look at the screen. "Just the ones of my drunk old man, beating up on my white trash, batshit crazy mother, Go ahead, take a look."

Joe shifted uncomfortably in his seat, as Vic swiveled to smile at him, sardonic. Thought that might shut ya up, Mayberry.

"Right........ Is that Allyssa with one, "L" or two?" Joe asked firmly, typing furiously, deciding to actively ignore her snark for Maggie's sake.

"Two, "L's," and two, "S's," She shot back, still smiling. These guys were all the same. You take one look at me, and you see juvie stamped on my forehead, don't ya? I ain't the bad guy, here, but I'm sure gonna catch him.

Joe frowned, leaning in closer, his eyes narrowing at the screen, the name looking strange, all spelled out.

"You sure about that? That's a pretty.......... creative spelling........"

The word hit like a sledge hammer, shattering Vic's smile, the ice spreading through her body, crystallizing in her veins, as she shared an uneasy look with Maggie, both of them paralyzed by one singular thought, caught off guard by Joe's tragic word choice.

"Holy Hell........" Vic whispered under her quickened breath, so that Joe couldn't hear, her words frozen over with the fear that Maggie's expression was right now fighting hard. "Mags....... She's one of us........"

Maggie shook her head vehemently, purple curls dangling, banishing the thought, shooting a wary glance at Joe, to make sure he wasn't listening in. "We don't know that, Vic....... Don't go there. She could just be something shiny that caught Manx's eye."

"Yes we do!" Vic hissed back, insistent. "Think about it........ If I'm the most damned powerful Strong Creative in the whole freaking universe, would I go through all the trouble of yanking some Plain Jane, non-creative, nobody into my demon car, or would I make it count...... go after somebody with power, somebody worth taking and keeping, in that special, legally binding kind of way. There's a reason he wants her, Mags, and something tells me it's not just for her pretty face."

"No, no........ oh my god......." Maggie breathed, the icy chill infecting her next. She bit her lip, almost scared to say it out loud. "She's one of us....... She has to be....... A Strong Creative with a brand new power for Manx to exploit." She squeezed her eyes shut against the sinister possibilities. "Could this possibly get any worse!?

"Ladies, I really think you got the name wrong here," Joe called over his shoulder, oblivious to the reverberating revelation. "I don't see ANY Allyssa's from this month, not one "L," two "L's," or three. Nada. Maybe the Mary Poppins prop is past its expiration date, huh Mags?" Joe mused, chuckling. "You see, if I'm this incarnation of all evil, King of my cursed Christmas whatever, and I was wanting a woman, I don't think I'd go through all the trouble of filing a legal document. I'd just grab the little lady, and go!"

Vic walked coolly, over to him, her arms crossed over her chest, her dark eyes defiant. "Look again, Joe."

"What? Did you hear what I just-?"

"I said, look again. You don't know this Joker like I do, okay, he's not your everyday, zip ties, and ski mask, ransom-seeking hoodlum, this guy......" Vic's voice got quieter, and she swallowed hard with disgust. "He's method. He knew her, he followed her home at night, watched her fall asleep. He manipulated his way into her life, got her to trust him, and then he took her....... All that time, all that effort, watching her from windows, he'd make sure there was no way out, a failsafe, a legally binding tie. Go back three months.

Joe's expression was grave, and he nodded with a solemn intensity, the chill in the air positively paranormal. Maggie reached out to grab Vic's hand, looking at her with sad, thoughtful eyes, not saying a word.

"It could have been me," Vic whispered, with a shiver, her voice strained, trying not to break with her emotion. "He told me I belonged there with him, that he was gonna ride high into Christmas Hell with me at his side, and make me those kids' mother, that I had disappointed them, some shit about not being pure. That Craig- Craig had ruined me. He couldn't take a Bad Girl to Christmasland, so here we are. Enter Plan B......."

"We're GOING to get this guy, Vic," Maggie whispered, fierce and determined. "His Plan B is going to mean his Final Destination, I promise. She's the key, this mystery girl is going to be the reason Charlie Effing Manx goes under, and never touches another soul. You sent that Son of a Bitch to hell once, Brat, and together, we can do it again."

"Holy SHIT........" Joe stared incredulous at the screen, rolling his chair slowly backward, blinking his eyes, but the impossible did not disappear, and he raised his finger, transfixed. "Holy Sh- Charles Talent Manx, and Allyssa Jolene Watkins. Filed three months ago, on July 5th 2019......."

A hush drowned the room, the silence deathly, and Vic groaned, annoyed. "You've gotta be FREAKING kidding me!!!! Charles TALENT Manx!? His middle name is literally TALENT!? God, I'm never going to hear the end of that one........."

Joe ignored Vic's outburst, his stare still fixed, thoroughly disturbed. "Bastard used his real name, and everything........ How did- How did you know?"

He turned slowly to Vic, and she gave him a sad, sort of smirk. "I told you......... Manx has been haunting my dreams, taunting me, taking, and torturing me for as long as I can remember. His madness has poisoned my mind, and he's going to do the same damn thing to her, but even worse, because he's going after her heart. He's going to wither it from the inside, until it looks like his, ruin her for anyone else. No loopholes, no escape, and she's going to become a fixture of that god-forsaken place. It's going to happen........ just like he's got planned. Unless somebody finds a Shorter Way to save her."

Maggie felt her body seized with the intruding fear, the biting phrase, landing like a slap to the face. "Vic! Vic NO, listen to me, it's TOO dangerous!!! It almost KILLED you last time, you can't! I won't let you do it! It's not going to take you to Christmasland, and if you use it....... He'll know."

"Good," Vic shot back, with a raised chin. "I want him to know it's me! Me comin' to steal back Christmas, comin' to break up this damn wedding. Consider it my RSVP! She seethed, railing against Maggie's impassioned protest. "Craig didn't DIE for me, so I could do nothin', Maggie, this is my shot to fix it, to do what I couldn't do before, and use my inscape to freaking save somebody, instead of wasting it, finding loose change. It may not take me direct, but it'll take me to where she lived, and why he took her. I'll get to know this chick, find out who she is, what she can do. He doesn't get to win, Maggie, not this time."

"If you think I'm letting you do this alone, you really should be committed," Maggie answered back, fire in her eyes. "If you're going to break up the happy day, and go blind in the process, because you're too damn stubborn, I'm coming with you."

"Mags, you can't! You know what happened to Craig when he tried to follow me over, it's too dangerous, this is my atonement, not yours, got it?"

Maggie swung her scrabble bag, back and forth, as it dangled by its purple string. "Look at this, Vic....... Do you think I was blessed or cursed with this bag, to pass the time with the world's most BORING game!? I can help you! You don't ALWAYS have to rev up your engine, and tear off on your own!!! Finding people, saving people, that us, that's you and me. Our purpose. Together....... And unless there's something you're not telling me, Craig wasn't a Strong Creative! I am! It let you bring me once, you have to at least try again!"

Vic gritted her teeth, hating that Maggie was always right. Here's to the girl, left holding the bag....... "You've got all the answers, don't ya?"

"Uh yeah, in the bag." Maggie smiled, her brown eyes luminous. "Are we doing this or what?"

"Fine, Mags, you can come. But remember, my inscape, my rules. Your eye starts bleeding, your stutter gets worse, or any other pay to play shit, and we're done. I mean it."

"Deal," Maggie smiled brightly, and then her eyes flickered, the light burning out, her features somber, wondering if Vic had been so distracted by Charlie's revealed middle name that she hadn't noticed something even more worrying about the other......

"Jolene," She said sadly, watching as Vic's eyes threatened tears. "Her middle name is Jolene."

"Yeah, I-I noticed......" Vic said softly, wiping at the corner of her welling eye with her thumb, taking a deep breath. "No way in HELL is that a coincidence........."

"Damn this guy knows what he's doing," Joe huffed, slamming keys on his computer. No driver's license on record, every picture on file, magically disappeared. It's like this girl......... doesn't even exist........"

Vic nodded, gritting her teeth again. "He's good....... But I'm better. In his twisted mind, Allyssa belongs to him now, to Christmasland, meaning he's got to get rid of any evidence she existed outside of his inscape. He may be immortal, but he's not infallible. He's going to miss something, slip up, just once, and I'm going to be the one to catch it. He's going to make sure she's got nothin' to come back to....... and I'm going to make sure she'd rather die, than stay.

[hopelessromanticspoonie]

Last Call

Characters: Loki x Reader

Chapter: 1 of 2 (click the ‘2′ for Chapter 2)

Rating: Explicit

Summary: All you wanted was a drink after a long day at work, but a pushy jerk and the God of Mischief have other ideas.

Warnings: Language, making out, over-the-clothes groping, implied smut

A/N: This was written while conceived from listening to ‘Like Lovers Do’ by Hey Violet, recommended to me by @lakinda5654. @just-the-hiddles and @yespolkadotkitty helped me amp it up and make it a little dirtier at the end than I had intended. And for motivating me to make Chapter 2 just complete smut.

“One more, Jerry. It’s been a day.”

The bartender, with his leather jacket and mouth set into a firm line, nods gruffly and pulls another beer from the tap before plopping it down in front of you. You accept it with an answering nod and take a big gulp of the slightly bitter brew. That’s the ticket. It had been a hard day at work and stopped into the bar on the walk home to unwind a bit.

This bar was rundown and dirty, but that was outweighed by the fact that you were accepted along with the rest of the regulars, and Jerry always knew the stiffness of drink you needed just by the look on your face. Plus, his hard, unwavering stare deterred the random asshole who thought that you were to be messed with simply because you were usually the lone lady in the joint.

Too bad Jerry was in the back when a newcomer came over and plopped down onto the stool next to you. He slides a drink in front of you and settles his hand onto your upper arm with far too much familiarity.

“This has to taste better than that cheap beer you’re drinking.”

Your eyes quickly take him in. Button-up shirt beneath a coordinating sweater, jeans too baggy to be flattering, scuffed up boots, a lazy, smile that was a little too wide and eyes that lingered on your chest, he just gave off all the wrong vibes. He definitely didn’t belong in this bar filled with grizzled, salt of the earth patrons. You had felt him watching you as soon as he and his similarly dressed buddies had walked in, and it was nothing like the lingering stare of the man that had bellied up to the bar soon after you had arrived.

Now his stare was almost welcomed. He stood out, but only because he was a little too nicely dressed to be in the dive bar. His well-tailored black slacks and tight black shirt beneath a well-worn leather jacket aren’t grubby enough to belong in this run-down watering hole. But the darkness in his twinkling eyes and the mischief of his arrogant smirk spoke of seedy underground rendezvous and four-letter words uttered with breathless voices. He held his drink of whiskey like a lover, long fingers lightly curled around the water-stained glass. He didn’t approach you or attempt to chat you up with a terrible pick-up line, so you decided earlier he was mostly benign. If he wanted to enjoy the view you presented, exhausted and drained from work, who were you to stop him?

Your eyes flick to the silent stranger. He watches you with faint curiosity. Your eye contact holds as you size each other up from across the bar before you break it to roll your eyes back to the overconfident kid eyeing you openly. You can’t be bothered to put on your fake smile to appease him as you shake his hand from your arm roughly. “Nope, I’m good with my beer.”

Jerry returns from the back with a container of glasses, freshly cleaned, and sets them down loudly behind the bar directly opposite of you. You make eye contact and give him a quick reassuring nod before focusing back on your beer, a clear dismissal of the man at your side.

His hand clamps down on your shoulder and you turn your head to him sharply. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. Look, my friends and I are about to go hit this club downtown. You should come.”

After quickly chugging the last of your beer and shooting a brief wave at Jerry, you stand up and make your way for the exit. Jerry will just add the drinks to your tab and you can pay the next time you popped in. There was always a next time.

“Where are you going?” The words are accompanied by a sweaty hand clamping onto your wrist.

You spin on your heel to stare up at the cocky asshole who thinks that he can just grab any person he deems fit. You raise your chin and glare daggers at him. “Anywhere you aren’t.”

He uses his hold on your wrist to pull you toward him and latch his hand onto the dip of your waist. That successfully brought him close enough for you to level a punch into his soft jawline. It stung enough to make you shake out your hand as you pulled away, but it was worth it for the shocked anger twisting on his face.

“Hands off the merchandise, pal.”

“Bitch!”

His answering smack across your face seemed to echo throughout the room, over the low grumbles of burly men chatting, the clacking of billiard balls, and the faint classic rock sounding out from an ancient jukebox.

You again make eye contact with Jerry, who stopped in the middle of drying off a pint glass with a rag that never looked clean to watch the scene unfold, chest puffed out and eyes wary. You shake your head to let him know that you’re alright before focusing your attention back on the dick who made the huge mistake of thinking he could touch you.

You advance on him slowly, ignoring the dull throb in your knuckles and cheek to tilt your head to the side and plaster on a look of fake contrition. Your voice is syrupy sweet when you croon out, “Oh, I’m so sorry…”

His brow furrows before a boastful smile slips over his face at your surrender. “That’s okay, sweetheart.”

But you only approached him so that he was within striking distance. Your knee lifts and connects with the soft, sensitive flesh in between his legs. He doubles over instantly with a pained groan.

You send your knee into his chest, “I said-” your elbow in between his shoulder blades, “I-” your boot into his hip to roll him over on the sticky bar floor, “wasn’t interested.”

You look up from his pathetic form coughing on the floor to lock eyes with the dark-haired man who had been watching you all night. Even through the hazy cigarette smoke that clouds the air, you can make him out well enough to admire the elegant lines of his jaw as he raises it questioningly. It was the same look that Jerry had given you a moment ago, but you don’t have time to dignify it with a response.

Arms encircle your neck and shoulders. You grip them with both hands and drop to one knee, using the momentum of your falling weight to pitch forward and pull the attacker over your shoulder and onto his back. A quick punch to his temple and he’s not going to be anybody’s problem for a little bit. Another man, assumedly his friend, rushes at you from the corner of the room. He barreled toward you, face blotchy from booze and fists high, showing his hand long before he reaches you.

You sidestep his lumbering, lurching strides and grunt with the force needed to plant your boot into the mass of his ass. He goes crashing to the floor, bouncing off of a chair in the process.

Finally, three of the regulars, big brawny men, stand up from where they were warily watching the spectacle and gather up the riff-raff to escort them outside. Now that they’re gone, you’re free to feel the full stinging effect of the fight. You flex the fingers of your dominant hand and walk back to the bar. Jerry is waiting with a stained towel wrapped around a handful of ice.

You take it from him gratefully and sink onto your usual hard wooden stool with a sigh. You sat here so much that, eventually, the shape of your rear was going to wear itself into the smooth wood. The ice feels heavenly on your enflamed bruised knuckles.

Jerry pours out two fingers of whiskey over ice and plops it down in front of you.

“I didn’t order this,” you say, staring longingly at the amber booze calling your name even as you deny it.

He ticks his head toward the other end of the bar. You glance in that direction and see the unknown, well-dressed man who had been watching you the whole night raise his glass with a downward tilt of his head before taking a sip.

Normally you didn’t accept drinks from men - it gave them the wrong idea - but you are just interested enough to break the rules this one time. You take the offered drink and raise it in return, dipping your chin before taking a large sip. It burns down your throat in the most delicious way, promising a hangover in the morning, but you don’t care.

That was invitation enough for him to get up from his seat and prowl towards you. He walks with predatory feline grace, confident and powerful. It practically commands you to watch his long legs eat up the distance until he is beside you at the bar, leaning his back against it so close that you can feel the heat radiating off of him and smell his cologne. Masculine leather and spicy musk that cuts through the stale smoke and old beer that permeates the air of the bar.

“You handled yourself well,” he comments lightly, a hint of pride, or possibly admiration, warming the praise. His almost-gravely voice drips with velvet sin. You can’t help but wonder what your name would sound like wrapped in that rich accent and delivered against the flushed skin of your neck

You take another sip of the liquor to blame it for the pulse hammering away at your throat. “Not my first time pissing assholes off because the think my being here is an open invitation. Won’t be the last.”

“Loki.” He gestures to himself and then holds out his hand for you to shake. “And you are?”

You slip your intact hand into his and tell him your name. It spills from his mouth like a prayer and he lifts your knuckles to brush against the soft warmth of his lips for a brief moment before releasing you.

His hand, large and thin-fingered, holds the ice pack over your knuckles - it had fallen off when you shook his hand - so that you can take another sip of your whiskey. The intimacy of the act was shocking and sends a hot wave of desire to the pit of your belly. “Whoever would be foolish enough to underestimate you deserves the punishment given to them.”

You nod at Jerry to get two more glasses of whiskey sent your way as you both down the remnants of your drinks. You take the second shot of liquid courage quickly. It’s cheap, burns like hell, and makes you exhale through your teeth, but it gets the job done.

“They don’t normally make the same mistake twice,” you admit with a confident smile. Self-defense classes came in handy when you wanted to wander around at night alone.

He exposes the fair column of his throat to you as he also knocks back his own drink. After he sets the glass back down on the countertop solidly, he skates his fingers across the swelling flesh of your cheek with all the tenderness of a lover.

“That looks to be bruising. Best take care of it.”

The look burning in his emerald eyes speaks of a completely different method of taking care of you than tending to your meager injuries. His tongue darts out to wet his lips and his attention is fixated on your parted lips as your tongue seeks to copy his.

You regain eye contact with Loki and stand up, close enough that your chests brush against each other with each breath and your fingers skate across the back of his hand. “Put it on my tab, Jerry.”

The wolfish grin tugging at his lips raises the hair on the back of your neck. He removes the ice pack and drops it to the bar before lighting his hand upon the small of your back. You lead the way out of the bar and into the cool fall air.

He steps in front of you, crowding you with his impressive height and broad shoulders, his chin dips down as he takes you in with heat burning in his emerald eyes. “I am not positive that we will have time to make it to my home before your cheek requires further attention.”

You curl your fingers into the open front of his jacket and tug him into you so that you’re pressed together from hips to chest, lifting your chin so that your whispered words feather your lips against his. “What a shame.”

A low growl tears from his throat as he suddenly claims your mouth for his. He tastes of whiskey and desire and salt as his tongue slips between your lips to plunder your mouth. He walks you back until you're pressed in between the lean muscle of his body and the rough brick of the wall, his leg sliding between yours to hold you in place so that his hands can rub tantalizingly up and down your sides. They come to rest on your ass, gathering the pliant flesh in his hands and rolling your hips into his as he expertly works his lips against yours.

When you pull away, panting for air, he trails hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses down to your neck, sucking on the soft flesh over your hammering pulse. Desire floods between your legs, and you can feel the evidence of his, long and hard, as it rocks against your hip bone. You tangle a hand into his long raven hair and the other slides down the length of his torso. His muscles twitch beneath his clothing at the firm touch. Your hand settles on the length of him over his clothes, rubbing and teasing him in the privacy of your tangled bodies tucked away in the shadows.

He wrenches his mouth from your feverish flesh and rests his forehead against yours, panting from desire. The pupils of his eyes are blown and his tongue darts out to wet his parted lips.

“Do not begin anything that you cannot finish,” he warns, low and seductive, dangerous.

You duck your head to trace a vein in his neck with the tip of your tongue, making him twitch in your hand. “My apartment is just two blocks from here.”

You have to practically jog to keep up with him as he heads off in your pointed direction.

[staytiny-angel]

War of Hearts

Chapter One

Rating: Mature

Main Pairing: Seth Rollins/Becky Lynch

Co-written with @riottbliss

Summary: Seth Rollins was once known as the Bad Boy Prince of MMA, now years after a career ending knee injury he's stepping into.the Octagon again not as a competitor but as his little sister's coach. Unfortunately for him the redhead across the cage from he and Paige is not only woman he'd just had a one night stand with but the younger sister and protege of the Finn Balor...the man that ended Seth's career.

Warnings: MMA style violence, Alcoholism, Implied Self-Harm (DM for details), Depression, Angst with a Happy Ending

Hunter Hearst Helmsley, or professionally known by Triple-H sighed with embarrassment, reading tweet after tweet from his youngest son Seth Rollins.

"What happened to him?" His best friend and practically brother Shawn Michaels asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Cody took him out of the press conference, Seth's hungover, blaming everyone but himself"

Shawn shook his head, "Kid is letting the hype go to his brain. He's all over TMZ, The Bad Boy Prince of MMA is what they call him"

"Seth is the best fighter in the world in his division. He's earned the cockiness but his lifestyle…." Hunter shook his head

Shawn made a disgusted sound. "Kid reminds me of me before I got my act together"

"Fatherhood is what made you get your act together. That won't work for Seth" Hunter clicked on a video of his drunken son yelling into a camera about Finn Balor that had gone viral last week.

"He talks so much shit about Balor being a low rent MacGregor, hell Seth acts more like Conor then Finn does."

Hunter sighed "He's turned this into a complete mess, I wouldn't be surprised if his team drops him."

"Hey, Dusty loved that kid, Dustin and Cody wouldn't release him until he stopped making them money"

Hunter nodded but looked nonetheless unthrilled.

"He keeps making excuses about everything. I'm this close to calling Steph"

Shawn nodded with agreement as the two entered Seth's penthouse, greeting a tired looking Cody Rhodes. "I can't do this anymore Hunter" he said in place of a normal greeting.

"You are not dropping him" Hunter said matter of factly.

"AEF is supposed to be for fighters that respect the sport, he fucks around and doesn't even show up to the gym" Cody said.

Hunter ignored him and went upstairs to where he could hear his youngest groaning in misery.

Hunter sighed as Seth looked up from the toilet he was practically hugging. "I'm twenty five, perfectly legal" he muttered, Hunter's gaze looking at the black and gold championship that laid discarded.

"While ago you would have treated that with respect" He said, Seth rolling his eyes. "Would you rather me puke on it? It's just a fucking belt' "

"Don't let anyone hear you say that" Hunter said lowly. "You're going to the weigh in today even if I have to drag you by your hair there myself"

"No the fuck I'm not, don't you see me dyin' here?" Seth whined "I'm going to fucking sleep"

"What the fuck happened to you?!" Hunter yells "Every since your Uncle Shane became your manager this is what you've turned into."

Seth looked unfazed. "Don't get angry because I'm better than you ever were" and shoved his father out of his way, flipping off Cody, and ignoring Shawn.

"What am I going to do with him?" Hunter sighed, exhausted.

"Knock his ass out?" Shawn suggested. "I'll take care of him" Cody rolled his eyes. "Britt and I will make sure he gets to the weigh in. I just need painkillers and food"

"I'm gonna go talk to Shane, I want to know what kind of garbage he's been filling my kid's head with" Hunter mutters

"I told you listening to Vince was a mistake." Shawn replies shaking his head "All of you let Vince snow you into thinking it was embarrassing that his mother managed him"

Hunter sighed. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to drag Steph back, Shane has a tight grip on him"

"Worry about that fuckface later" Shawn said. "Seth needs you, not him" Hunter nodded firmly, making his way downstairs to see Seth passed out on his couch, his dog Kevin and cat Daryl laying on him.

"This was our compromise" Cody explained. "I let him take a nap, he goes to the weigh in later"

"He isn't going to beat Balor in this condition. He doesn't spar anymore and his knee has been inflamed for weeks" Britt says quietly

"He shouldn't even be fighting. We told Shane but he says there's too much money at stake for Seth to pull out"

"Money money money"' Shawn mocked. "All he cares about is fucking printed paper"

Hunter ignored them and instead chose to brush back some of Seth's hair, his son unconsiously responding to it. "What did I do wrong raising him?" he asked. Hunter rolls his eyes at the look his older brother gave him "The truth" he says quietly

"No offense bro, but this family is a whole fucking lot to live up to and you weren't exactly shy about your expectations once Seth showed an aptitude for the sport. None of us were. I have to even ask myself, when was the last time any of us actually had a conversation with the kid that wasn't about fighting?"

"He's cracking underneath the pressure" Cody chimes in

"Yeah, he is and now Shane is filling his head with all these ideas about the image he should project" Shawn continues "Quiet guys who, play with their dogs and write poetry when their not in the Octagon don't sell tickets, but Bad Boys sure the fuck do."

*Later*

Seth scowled at his phone as Britt ushered him into the arena the weigh was taking place in. "I'm assuming you told the press he was gonna bail?" Cody growled at Shane who held his hands up. "They were gonna find out sooner or later" "Yeah yeah, no press is bad press" Seth said.

"Except the press says you're an asshole" Cody deadpanned. "Don't do anything stupid up there, or Mark is going to have a stroke" Seth didn't respond, instead heading up the stairs to the stage, where Balor had clearly made weight, despite being skinny. Seth took off his shirt per usual, standing on the scale.

"197 pounds" The announcer said, Seth smirking at Balor. The Irish man looked unfazed and rolled his eyes. Seth, in a act of annoyance, promptly flipped him off, hearing everyone in the crowd either laugh or groan

-Backstage -

"Gonna be fun beating your ass Balor, I promise not to hurt you too badly," Seth says cockily, slouching in a chair and putting his sunglasses back on.

"Oh, Rolly its almost time to give up your precious" Finn responds, "Clock is ticking boyo and your time is almost up"

"Mon roi, nous devons-oh shit" a pake woman walked up, speaking rapid French and stopping in her place when she saw Seth.

"Hey Seth" she said coldly.

"Vi" Seth responded, his attitude gone.

"He your king now?" "Surprised you even remember any French, from what I read, you've drank yourself through everything"

"It's what happens when you give your heart to someone and get it ripped in half, I wasn't enough for you, that's what you said right? I wasn't straight enough for you?! So you threw my ring in my face and left" Seth yelled "Cause Bisexual people, we're all cheaters didn't you know?"

At least according to Violet Gillath, wait I'm sorry Violet Balor now isn't it?."

"Stop it" Finn growled. "Before I knock your ass out now"

"Try it bitch" Seth snarled back.

Violet got between them and shoved Seth back. "Chaton, stop" she hissed.

Seth stumbled upon hearing his old nickname. "Why?" he choked out. "What did I do?"

Seth shook his head as if to shake his thoughts into place "Why Violet? Why did you leave me? You...you fucking broke me" he said in a small voice "I have the right to know why, just tell me. Why would you do that after everything. I was going to quit fighting for you because you didn't like seeing what it was turning me into. You get up on stage and you still sing my songs, but you said you hated me. I just wanna know."

Violet crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I didn't want to be with you. You never signed anything so legally those songs are mine. I said what I meant, you weren't enough"

Seth looked like she had rebroken his heart.

Thankfully Britt walked in. "Hey, we gotta go"

Seth grabbed his title and held it to Finn. "This is mine. You can keep that bitch but you will never get this"

-Backstage-

"I've never known you to be biphobic, wanna explain to me why Rollins is convinced you are?" Finn said sitting down in his locker room with his wife a few minutes later.

"His uncle...manager, that bastard Shane got me my record deal in exchange for breaking Seth's heart" Violet told her husband "Seth hates fighting, he was going to quit and go on the road with me. He can't sing a note but he writes and plays guitar. We were going to be a duo. Shane was watching his cash cow walk out the door. So he threatened me and made an offer. Seth was the sweetest thing and he loved me and I broke his heart and let Shane turn him into that"

"If I could go back in time and slap him across the face I would but I can't" Violet said brokenly. "Shane has made it perfectly clear that if I ever tell him that he would ruin both our careers"

Finn hugged her to him. "I'm still gonna kick his ass" Violet slapped his arm. "Please try not to" Finn shrugged. "I'm undefeated"

"You know Seth is too. And the thing with being undefeated is that there's only one way down, being kicked off the mountain"

-Next Day-

Seth was throwing up again having had drank himself to sleep following his encounter with his ex.

Cody looked extremely tired and Britt concerned. "You have to fight in an hour!" Cody yelled out

"I don't fucking care." Seth yelled back "I don't even want to fucking fight." He muttered to himself, as he rubbed at his knee. "Come on fucking give already." He whispered to the inflamed appendage.

He knew what he was doing was dangerous but it was his only way out. If his knee would just give up the fucking ghost, he could quit this bullshit once and for all.

"Your sisters are out there tonight" Britt said, walking in, holding a brace.

"I really don't care" Seth growled, letting Britt put his knee in it.

"And your mom' Britt added. Seth took a breath when Britt touched his knee.

"Holy shit, it feels like its burning"

We're letting you go after tonight" Cody said angrily. "I don't care if you win or not, you've ruined All Elite Fighting's reputation"

"I don't care, I never wanted to be in your shitty gym anyway" Seth shrugged. "I'm going to get changed"

[kyouxa]

Diabolik lovers Chaos Lineage: Shin Tsukinami (Story 04+CG)

In terms of the gameplay: The black choices lead up to a bad ending, the white choices lead up to a good ending. Please no reposting onto other sites, ask me before translating this into another language too! I’m an amateur translator, but I hope you do enjoy it anyway!♡

Place: Orange Mansion — Living room

Carla: Kou was watching this mansion and it seems as if he was correct about it‘s situation.

Yui: (We were watched!? So that means that our movements have always been watched as well ...?)

Carla: Three people left the mansion, the only remaining ones are Eve and her guard. This is an unique opportunity.

Kou, Subaru. Catch those two.

Kou: Suure. I don’t wanna be a rough man, so you should try to cooperate with us too.

Subaru: What are you acting so nice all now? This is the enemies mansion. Don’t you understand that?

Kou: Yes, Yes. That‘s why we should end this quickly.

Yui: (What should we do... no matter how strong Shin-kun is, if we have five opponents it’s impossible to win... !)

Shin: Oh, geez. How troublesome. All of this was perfectly planed by you guys then.

Eve, hide yourself behind me. If you think about it yourself, it might be a better option to run away and hide somewhere.

Worst, hide yourself or run away. Whatever you choose, if they get you caught up ... I won't forgive you.

Yui: N-No! I‘ll stay with you. But, our opponents are carrying weapons with them.

*Shin gets his sword*

Shin: I know that, you don’t need to tell me that. And, I’m carrying a myself weapon as well!

Kou: Hmm. Are you willing to fight that way then?

Subaru: That really is a pain in ass. I won’t lose to someone like you anyways. Don’t waste our time, hand that woman over to us already.

Shin: It might be bad, but this situation is not impossible at all!

Ahh!

*Shin attacks Subaru*

Subaru: Kch... !

Shin: Is it okay to spare you just because you’re five people? Even if you are more, I definitely won’t lose against someone like you.

Ha!

*swords clash*

Yui: (The fight started. What I was most worried about ... is happening right now ...)

(What should I do now... !?)

Kou: Look behind ya~!

Yui: ... Ngh! Shin-kun! Kou-kun is behind you!

*Kou attacks Shin*

Shin: Kch... !

Yui: (Somehow, he didn‘t receive Kou-kun's attack, but it's impossible to have two opponents alone...!!)

Shin: Hah, Hah, Hah, Hah...

Yui: Shin-kun... !

Shin: Ngh... ! Stop, don’t move! I told you to not move around. Eve should just remain behind me...

Yui: (Shin-kun is already way too exhausted, and if this is the case, there is no doubt that we’ll lose)

(Ruki-kun, please come back soon...!)

Kou: Oh~ what happened to your strong powers until now? Now would be the perfect time to show them, or else I’ll stab you poor thing.

Subaru: Your words are useless. Just crush him already.

*Subaru attacks Shin*

Shin: Ugh... ! Crap... as expected, it might be hard to have two opponents ...!

Yui: Shin-kun... !!

*someone approaches*

Yui: Kya!

Laito: Yep. I caught you, Eve ♪

Yui: Laito-kun!? Stop, release me!

(After all, I really got caught! His arms are strong and I can’t get away... !)

Shin: ...Ngh! Eve! Tch, didn‘t I tell you to just stay behind me... !

Kou: We caught Eve and now you can actually give up. See, how about you throw away your sword first? Like this you can surrender easier.

Yui: Shin-kun! I-I’m sorry, I... !

Shin: Crap...

*Shin drops his sword*

Yui: ...Ngh!

(Shin-kun...)

Kou: Oh, he really let go of his sword. Unlike Subaru, Shin seems to be a clever one.

Subaru: Hah!? Shut up! You don’t need to say anything extra.

Shin: Well. Like this I don’t need to be with you together all day.

Subaru: You’re way too annoying. Now be quiet.

*Subaru punished Shin*

Shin: Agh... !!

Yui: Shin-kun... !!

Laito: Uh, I didn’t want you to expose him. Don’t worry about him, he is fine. He just straight up fainted nothing more.

I mean, I’m sure you don’t want to feel anything either so... sorry?

*Yui gets knocked out*

Yui: Nn...

(Shin-kun...)

Place: Orange mansion — Outside

Carla: Have you finally caught them? Now we finally got closer to our goal. Take those two back to the mansion, before the other guys come home.

*Yui‘s dream*

Yui: (Nn... here... my room... ?)

Shin: Seems like you woke up, Yui.

Yui: Shin-kun!?

(Huh? Why? W-What just...)

Just now, Shin-kun got tattered... with a sword...

Shin: Hah? What are you saying? Don’t dream about such suspicious things. Like this, I can pinch you if you want to.

Yui: Dream... that means, it was a dream. That’s good... it wasn’t reality...

Shin: Ah, hold on, what are you crying for? Was your dream really that bad? ...I guess I have no other choice.

*Shin hugs Yui*

Shin: I am here for you now. I‘ll be here to make sure nothing happens to you anymore.

You can fall asleep in peace once again now.

Yui: Yes...

(His arms are patting me gently. I wish he would keep doing this for a little longer—)

Place: Violet mansion — Dungeon

Yui: Hmm...

(Here... in jail? Why... am I... connected to chains... ?)

(Ah... that just now... was a dream I had. The painful reality is still going on)

Ngh... ! W-What... ?

(Ah... my neck is also connected with a chain, so if I move strangely, I will be pulled)

Shin: .....

Yui: (And next to me, Shin-kun is also connected to chains)

(We’re chained up like dogs. The way they trapped us like this...)

Shin: Hm... Nn...

Yui: Ah, Shin-kun! You woke up!?

Shin: It hurts... what’s with these chains. They ain’t good at all.

Somehow, I seemed to have become a little outrageous before I fainted.

Yui: Yes. It seems as if we got taken away by Laito-kun and afterwards we were locked up in jail.

Shin: Tch... it won’t come off. Whatever I try, I can’t get away from the wall either.

Yui: ... I know. I don’t think we can easily get away...

Shin: Moreover, they connected their precious Eve to such a dirty place as well.

Seems as if Carla that guy doesn't even know the word courtesy. Do you think so as well?

Yui: .....

(Shin-kun, he seems to be able to afford it, but I'm sure he is confused by this situation too ...)

(But, what do you think Carla-san would do to us in such a place?)

*someone approaches*

Shin: Just as I talked about the problem... it shows up itself.

Carla: Hmph, I do not mind this view.

Shin: Who do you think you are looking down to? Hey! Remove this chains immediately!

Carla: You are Ruki‘s younger brother Shin...

Shin: That‘s right. What about that?

Carla: You are...

♡ Roses ♡

Shin’s collar: Shut up already, this situation is not a big deal for me. Just watch me getting out of here.

Carla’s chest: Hehe... I wonder if I was just overwhelmed by the situation, Carla isn’t such a great leader as they all say after all.

Yui: (Carla-san... ? What happened, he’s just looking at Shin-kun ...)

(Maybe he met Shin-kun, his brother, and he remembered something ...)

Shin: What is it... say whatever you want to say. Carla

Carla... ? ... My brother...

Yui: (Shin-kun... !? Just now... !?)

Carla: No, it is nothing... I was just out of my mind.

Yui: (After all, both of them aren’t remembering anything. Why aren‘t they feeling something either... ?)

Shin: Hey, I’ll break these chains faster than you can imagine. Just watch me going home soon.

Carla: Do not speak with such a foolish mouth while you are trapped in a prison.

Neither Eve nor you will return to that mansion anymore.

Shin: It‘s not like I mind. Even if I can‘t reach your face to punish you yet, I‘ll definitely give you a payback for that.

Be prepared when that time comes. Once I‘m out of here, I‘ll make sure to completely destroy you... !

Carla: ... I do not like that cocky eyes you have. Eyes which want to reach anything under any certain circumstances.

Shin: No wonder. I don't want to lose anyone, especially to guys like you.

Carla: Hmph. Apparently you have not been hit properly by my family.

*Carla opens jail gate*

Carla: Seems as if you do not know, how to speak to your new superior.

Shin: I can talk to you however I want. I can even call you with -kun.

Carla: As long as you are in my house, I will never allow such thing. Rejoice. I will introduce you what manners are instead.

Yui: (Carla-san... ? He got a whip with him... !)

Carla: I will make sure to give you unforgivable pain. I will let your body remember what happens when you go against me.

*Carla hits Shin*

Shin: Agh...

Yui: Shin-kun... !

Carla-san, please stop this!

Carla: Be quiet, Eve. Fools can only learn with pain. Savor the pain and let it cut into your body.

*Carla hits Shin again*

Shin: Ugh... kch... !

Carla: Do not scream. It is unsightly. I was not giving you permission to let even the slightest voice come out of your mouth.

*Carla hits Shin again*

Shin: ...Ngh!

Carla: Hmph, did you endure it this time? This does not seems to affect you. Let me suggest something else then.

If you just start to betray Ruki you could stay here with Eve, you would be treated accordingly.

For someone like you, this would be not a bad condition, would it?

Shin: Kn... !

Yui: (Carla-san invites Shin-kun, the enemy, to his family)

(For Carla-san, it’s not a strange thing to kill anyone right away if they act against him ...)

(Or maybe does he want Shin-kun to become closer to him ...?)

Carla: If you accept the conditions, I will welcome you without any circumstances and get you out of this filthy jail instantly.

You will no longer get lost again. You just need to come to me.

Yui: (Shin-kun... what will he do... ?)

Shin: Hah... you must be kidding... you want me to become an obedient dog by following some conditions?

That’s bad. I‘d never betray my brother like this. I‘m sorry, but I decline your shitty conditions.

Carla: Ruki...

I do not get it. No matter who your big brother is, there is no reason to follow that man.

Or do you not even know what is good or bad?

Shin: Shut up already! I don't like that attitude of you looking down on any of us!

Yui: (After all, Carla-san may want to call Shin-kun to himself for some other reasons...)

(If that is really it...)

(Maybe he wants to met Shin-kun, if they did meet like that they might changed their memory)

Carla: Apparently, there seems to be a shortage of whips you get.

*Carla hits Shin once again*

Shin: Ngh... Agh!

Yui: Shin-kun! Are you fine... !?

Shin: ...Ugh... Kch...

Carla: Well whatever. I am not going to deal with a guy who does not appreciate the request I gave him.

My true purpose is not Shin, it is you, Eve

*Carla comes closer*

Yui: Carla-san... ?

Eh... ?

(Why... why did he remove my chains...)

Shin: Wait... ! You! Kch... what are you gonna do to Eve!?

Carla: Do not you know? This women here is the key to become the king ... obviously I am going to try Eve‘s blood.

Yui: Eh!? Please wait, Carla-san ...! Please stop that!

Shin: Stop fooling around... ! Stop!! Don‘t you dare touching her!

*Carla hits Shin again*

Shin: Ngh... agh...

Carla: Keep silent. I am not talking to you.

Choices

1) — Instead of sucking... (white) ♡ ♡ ♡

2) — Stop... ! (black)

— Instead of sucking... ♡

Yui: (If I resist here, Shin-kun would be struck again with the whip ...!)

I understand... please suck my blood...

Shin: Eve!! What are you saying... !

Yui: (Maybe Carla-san remembers something and changes if he sucks my blood...)

Carla: Hmph, you really are obedient, unlike your guard.

Yui: Instead, could you please release Shin-kun... ? Please stop hitting him with the whip.

Carla: That is an impossible request. You are the enemy anyway. It is impossible to release any of you.

— Stop... !

Yui: I hate it... ! Stop that... !

(I don't like being sucked by anyone besides Shin-kun ...!)

Carla: Did you think you have certain rights? As long as you are in my mansion, you are mine as well.

Yui: Please stop it already! Carla-san... !

Carla: Give up and accept it. This is your destiny.

end Choices

Yui: Such...

Shin: Please stop it! Don‘t put your hands on her!

Carla: You who has no power, watch that woman who you should protect here.

This is to punish you for not following me. I will burn this kind of feeling in your eyes.

*Carla comes closer*

Carla: Here, I will be sucking from the chest near your heart... Ahh... Nn

Yui: No... !

Carla: Nn ... what is this ... is this really the blood of Eve ...

Yui: (Shin-kun is right in front of me... why is this happening... it hurts... !)

Shin: Crap!! Because of these chains I can‘t move at all... !

Carla! Get away from Eve now! Stop…! I‘m begging you...! Stop it!

Carla: Hmph... it is true that you are only able to scream. If you are jealous, show some obedience next time.

Shin: You... !! Just wait!!

Carla: You should just silently watch me. Nn... Nn...

Yui: I hate... ! Ah...

Shin: Nn... please stop! Damn, my eyes have already been... what is this ...

Yui: (His eyes... !? Could it be... that he is remembering something... ?)

(Ah, but I can’t stand ... any longer ...)

Carla: Hmph, is your body already giving up on it‘s power? Or is it that you are drowning in pleasure without being able to stand by yourself?

Shin: Carla! Stop it... I don't want to see her suffer anymore... !

Never again ... I don't want to lose anything important again ... Agh ... !!

Yui: (Shin-kun looks so pained. Did he remember something from his past?)

Carla: Are you still repeating what you said earlier? If you are still continuing on making disrespectful noises, I will use the whip again ... Ngh

Yui: (Carla-san... ?)

Carla: What is this amount ... is it the effect of Eve's blood power?

If so, is this the sign that the road to become the King has opened ...?

The taste is not bad either. It turned out to really be special blood.

Yui: ... Nn...

(There is no power at all. He was just sucking way too much blood...)

(Shin-kun, Shin-kun ... I want to touch Shin-kun right away)

Carla: Let's leave it here today. I am going to keep yourself for me only.

*Carla throws Yui away*

Yui: ...Ouch!

Shin: Eve ... !! Hey Carla. This is the key for you to become the king and you don’t treat her like that at all.

Carla: I knew there was a secret in her blood. If that is the case, it is okay if it gets slightly damaged.

Yui: (It‘s already... too much... my body... blood... nn)

Carla: In this situation, there is no need to reconnect her to the chains anymore.

*Carla closed the gate*

Carla: Azusa, please come here.

Azusa: Yes.

Carla: Watch out for them here. Whatever happens, do not let them out of here.

Azusa: ... All right

Yui: (Azusa-kun is looking after us now... he really follows whatever Carla-san tells him to do)

Azusa: .....

[ericsonclan]

The Gentle Warmth of Friendship

Summary: Brody and Violet journey with their Pokemon when suddenly they meet someone new.

Word Count: 3353

Read on AO3:

“Are you sure we’re heading in the right direction?” Brody asked as she struggled to balance the PokeNav in her hand while gently holding Cleffa. Ralts walked beside her, calm and collected as it followed its trainer.

“Clef?” The small pokemon looked up at its trainer’s face and saw the worry in her eyes. Brody’s brows furrowed as she studied the map. Prescott shouldn’t be far away from the route they were on.

“I don’t know. Aasim said to stay on route 116 and keep walking until we see a road marker that points towards Prescott,” Violet shuffled the pack on her back. Part of her wanted to take a break for the day and set up camp. But another, bigger part of her wanted to continue on. If the two of them walked on and didn’t stop, they could reach the town by nightfall.

“Okay, well I’m sure we’ll be able to find it,” Brody jogged forward and caught up with her friend. The auburn gave a friendly smile to Violet who offered a small one in return. Cubone walked alongside Violet and kept one hand on its weapon and another on her pant leg. The pokemon had always been extremely attached to Violet ever since the day she had found it after its mother’s passing.

Violet looked down with a smile. “You let me know if you get tired, Cubone, and we can stop,”

The words made Cubone look up with big eyes. “Cu? Cubone!” it cried happily and its grip on Violet’s pant leg tightened. Violet shook her head good-naturedly then turned her sights up ahead. Cubone had a tendency to push itself too hard but that only made things worse for the pokemon. With how tired it got it sometimes couldn’t keep up with Violet. At that point Cubone would start to cry from loneliness, causing a sad melody to vibrate throughout the skull it wore on its head, making it shake.

“Veno!”

The sudden call made Brody and Violet stop to see that Venonat had gotten distracted by rock collecting. The bug type pokemon pitter pattered over and stopped in front of Violet. Its large red eyes looked into hers as it held up the item. “Venonat!”

“For me?” Violet knelt down and gave a soft smile as her pokemon handed over the item before she tucked it away. “Thanks.”

“Nat! Nat!” The pokemon exclaimed happily and did a small dance before it gave Violet a look. Instantly the trainer knew what it wanted and carefully picked up her pokemon. Soon the two trainers were off on the route once more.

“Doesn’t carrying all those rocks become tiring?” Brody looked over at Violet who glanced over her way. Violet moved a bit closer to Brody and brought her voice down to a whisper.

“I don’t keep all of them. My pack gets too fucking heavy so when Venonat is napping I usually place them to the side or give them to some wild pokemon I see if they’re friendly.” Violet’s explanation made Brody chuckle softly. The reaction made Violet frown. “It's not funny.”

“Sorry, no, it's just that's really sweet. You really do love your pokemon, Vi.” Brody smiled softly and Violet looked away.

“Yeah, of course. I’d be a pretty shitty trainer if I didn’t think about my pokemon.”

“Speaking of trainers, I can’t wait to see the others in Prescott,” Brody’s eyes shone with joy and her Ralts moved closer towards her, drawn in by her positive emotions.

“Me too. I bet you’re really excited to see one trainer in particular,” Violet teased her friend who nudged her arm.

“Hey! I’m gonna be happy to see the others too! I haven’t seen Ruby in ages and Minnie will definitely want to challenge me to a pokemon battle when we arrive.” As Brody spoke Cleffa held onto her finger, snuggling it contentedly. “But yeah, I can’t wait to see Mitch either and watch that confident smirk turn dorky as soon as he sees me.”

“Not like your face is any better. You two short circuit around each other.” Violet’s words made Brody grow embarrassed.

“Well, it's not like you and Prisha are any better. You told me you dropped your PokeNav into the curry the last time you two camped together because she surprised you with a hug from behind!” Brody was now the one with the smug, teasing expression on her face while Violet felt overwhelmed.

“Whatever, the Pokenav still worked and besides, it's not as embarrassing as that berry incident,” Violet’s smile returned when she saw that Brody clearly remembered that day.

“Well played, Vi. Anyways, I heard that Prescott has quite the gym leader.” Brody shifted their conversation before rummaging around in her pockets. She offered some berries and other treats to Violet. Violet gave a small thanks before handing some of the treats to her pokemon before munching on a berry herself.

“Yeah, I heard the gym there is tough. The Fairy gym leader is known to kick anyone’s ass that challenges him,”

Brody nodded and was about to add to that when suddenly a patch of grass to her right rustled wildly. Both trainers stopped in their tracks and carefully studied the grass. Violet instinctively moved forward in front of Brody and prepared to defend her friend if need be.

The grass continued to move until suddenly a purple blob pokemon wiggled forward. Its beady little eyes looked at Brody then Violet before it smiled. “Ditto!” It cried happily then noticed Venonat staring at it from the safety of Violet’s arms. WIthout warning the Ditto began to transform and became an exact replica of the bug type pokemon.

“Veno?” Violet’s Venonat looked somewhat scared but squirmed out of Violet’s arms. Cautiously it moved forward and examined the Ditto who now looked exactly like it. Venonat did a few different motions with its claws and they were mirrored with ease. “Nat! Nat!” The pokemon screeched and waddled back frantically, clutching onto Violet’s leg desperately.

“Ditto?” Ditto looked confused as to why that had scared its potential new friend. The Ditto morphed back into its original form and was about to imitate another pokemon to see if it could become friends with it when all of sudden a soft voice called out to it.

“Ditto! There you are!” A trainer ran forward, his dark hair getting in the way of his eyes as he scooped up the Ditto. “I thought I told you, no running off and bugging other trainers,” The trainer scolded his pokemon before looking over at Violet and Brody. “Sorry about my Ditto.”

“It's fine,” Violet mumbled and picked up her Venonat.

“Yeah, your Ditto was just trying to make friends, right?” Brody smiled over at the trainer who nodded slowly.

“Ditto always tries to make new friends, thinks that it will help with my social anxiety,” the trainer explained, gesturing with his hands a lot and causing Ditto to nearly slip out of his arms.

“Well, there was no harm done. I’m Brody and this is Violet,” The auburn trainer gestured to herself then to Violet who gave a small nod of acknowledgement.

“It's nice to meet you. My name is James,” The trainer’s soft voice grew a bit quieter. It had been a while since he had run into trainers that weren’t mad that his Pokemon had bugged them. “Well, I should get-”

“Riolu!” A pokemon cried out protectively and ran forward. Its little paws whacked against the ground before the blue pokemon slid in front of James. Its red eyes dared Brody and Violet to even try to take a step forward.

“Riolu! No!” James placed down Ditto and reached out to stop his Riolu from starting a fight like it usually did. “These are nice trainers. What did I say about fighting?”

“Ri!” The pokemon huffed as it looked back at its trainer. James picked it up, now holding both his pokemon in his arms. Riolu’s eyes soon snapped over at the group once more. Quickly it sensed the auras surrounding the two trainers and their pokemon. Brody had a calm, comforting aura and her Cleffa and Ralts seemed to have a similar aura radiating off of them as well. Riolu looked over and noticed the spooked aurora around Venonat and felt the lonely aura around Cubone although it seemed to be tamer than other Cubones and an undertone of happiness danced within its aura. Lastly Riolu looked over at Violet and noticed her quiet, subtle aura. There was no malice or anger amongst them. The pokemon glanced back at its trainer. Now that Riolu thought about it, James’ aura was unusually calm too. “Ri, Ri,” Riolu grumbled and settled down.

“Thank you,” James hugged his pokemon softly. “Sorry about Riolu. He tends to get overprotective of me,”

“That's okay, just shows that you have a good bond with your pokemon,” Violet’s words made James’ eyes grow large. They had clearly meant a lot to him. He was about to thank her for them but a laugh made all three trainers pause. They looked over to see two grunts strolling forward. Both of them had a menacing aura to them and the look in their eyes made it clear they were looking for trouble.

“Look, Joey, we found some cool pokemon for the boss!” The grunt on the left smiled smugly at his friend.

“Yeah, I bet the boss is gonna give us a promotion. Maybe we can even get to choose one of the next Pokemon in the ring!” Joey’s eyes shone with a twisted joy.

“I don’t know who you are but we don’t want trouble,” Brody spoke up and drew the two grunts’ attention.

“Well, we do and we want your pokemon too!” Joey strode forward but Violet stood in front of the group alongside James’ Riolu who had wiggled out of its trainer’s arms.

“Get your own Pokemon and leave us the hell alone!” Violet growled at the grunts, her eyes burning with warning.

The two grunts shared a look and began to laugh.

“Who’s gonna stop us? Your little bug? Listen, just give us the Cubone, Riolu, Ditto and Ralts and we’ll let you keep your shitty pokemon.” There was cocky confidence in the grunt’s orders. Those words caused three different reactions from the trainers. Violet gritted her teeth and curled her hands into fists while James slowly strode forward, his eyes shimmering coldly. Brody gathered Ditto, Ralts, and Venonat together who Violet had told to go back to her.

“You would try to tear apart pokemon from their trainers? I won’t let you do that.” James’ calm aura had shifted and he was ready to fight if need be.

Heh, you don’t have a choice! We’re taking them by force! Ready, Justin?” Joey smiled over to his friend as he took out his pokeball.

“I’m always ready! We’re gonna show these dumbasses the might of Team Delta!” Justin unclipped his pokeball from his hip and tossed it in the air. The ball flew high before a light hummed from inside it and a pokemon emerged. A Machoke landed on the ground and shook its fist as it looked over at Violet and James. Its left eye was missing and scars littered its body. The sight pained James’ heart. What had happened to this pokemon? Had its trainer done this? Before James could ponder further Joey threw his pokeball and a Skarmory appeared in front of them. It gave a high pitched cry causing Brody, Violet and James to cover their ears. Its metal wings were damaged and its beak was bent. Violet clenched both of her fists. These two didn’t give a shit about any pokemon, even their own.

“Violet, would you help me in this battle?” James looked over with determination. Clearly he was just as upset by the sight before him as Violet was.

“Yeah.” Violet nodded and knelt down in front of her Cubone. “I’m going to need your help.” “Cubone!” The pokemon cried to hype itself up and waved around the bone weapon it wielded.

“Riolu, are you ready?” James asked his pokemon companion who got into a fighting stance.

“Riolu!” The pokemon declared proudly and glared at the Delta grunts.

“Okay then. We challenge you to a pokemon battle!” James yelled as he stood beside Violet.

“Bring it, losers!” Justin laughed then gave the first command. “Machoke, use low kick!”

“Choke!” Machoke roared and charged forward. It used its left leg to stabilize itself before sending a devastating low kick directly at Riolu’s face. Riolu lifted its arms to block the attack and soften the blow as it skidded backwards. Dust and dirt flew through the air; the battle had begun.

“Cubone, use headbutt!” Violet instructed and her pokemon charged forward with its head turned downwards towards Machoke.

“Cu!” the pokemon cried and landed a direct hit but it didn’t seem to do much damage.

“Skarmory, use wing attack!” Joey snapped and the pokemon immediately obeyed. Its sharp wings shone in the light and it flew forward, spinning wildly before its wings slashed out at Cubone. Cubone whimpered in pain and stumbled back. It was a super effective move.

“Cubone!” Violet glared at Joey with fiery hatred in her eyes. “You piece of shit!” Her anger only made Joey’s twisted smile grow. Violet’s jaw tightened; she wouldn’t give up so easily.  “Cubone, use headbutt!”

Cubone listened and charged forward, ramming into the Skarmory.

“Heh, you’re so fucking stup-’

“Now! Use Bone rush!” Violet’s words made Joey freeze as Cubone used its bone and harshly hit Skarmory again and again. Skarmory cried out  and tried to get away but the Cubone was too close and unusually fast.

“Justin! Help!” Joey yelled but his friend ignored him. He was too busy having fun using Machoke to low kick Riolu again and again.

“I don’t have time for your whiny shit, Joey! I’m busy beating the shit out of this twerp!” His words made James shake with anger.

“Riolu, use quick attack to dodge the next blow!” James cried and Riolu gave a nod. As soon as Machoke tried to use another low kick Riolu used quick attack, zooming underneath the outstretched leg.

“Machoke?” Machoke spun around this way and that to find its opponent.

“Now, use metal claw!” James’ voice rang out and danced around the battlefield as Riolu appeared through its makeshift shield of dust. Its claws shone as it tore at Machoke. Machoke gave a pained sound and tried to retaliate but Riolu slipped into the dusty wind once more. James continued on like this, commanding Riolu to use quick attacks to dodge Machoke’s onslaught before sending in a metal claw attack of its own. Slowly but surely Riolu was chipping away at Machoke’s health until James called out for the finishing blow. “Riolu, use force palm!”

“Ri, Ri!” Riolu dashed forward and appeared in front of Machoke. Getting on its left leg Riolu lifted up its right one slightly and got into a fighting stance. Moving both of its paws back it charged up a devastating attack and sent its right paw forward, crashing into Machoke’s chest.

“Choke?” Machoke stumbled back, frightened that it had lost. It tried to reach out to Justin but folded over and collapsed on the ground.

Justin tsked angrily and held out the pokeball to retrieve the pokemon. “Fucking useless! I’ll just have to steal a better pokemon,” Justin tossed aside the pokeball into a pile of mud nearby then looked over to see how Joey was faring.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!!” Joey yelled. “Skarmory! Use fly now!”

Skarmory tried its best to get away as fast as possible but it turned out to be fruitless.

“Cubone, use bonemerang!” Violet’s words made the Delta grunt’s eyes shake with realization.

“Cu, cu!” Cubone lifted up its arm and with a mighty toss threw its bone through the air. The attack connected and hit the Skarmory in mid flight. The pokemon gave another high pitched cry which made Violet and James cover their ears once more before Skarmory fell from the sky. Joey didn’t seem worried at all. In fact, it looked like he was going to let it fall to the ground. Violet and James ran forward at the same time to catch the pokemon, sliding across the ground to save it just in time. They had been able to stop the Skarmory from getting severely harmed even though it would definitely cost them a few bruises over the coming days.

“Argh!” Joey reluctantly held out his pokeball to retrieve Skarmory before he noticed that Justin had discarded his pokemon. Joey thought for a moment and followed suit, tossing aside his pokeball like it was nothing.

“How dare you!” Brody ran forward and carefully fished the two pokeballs out of the mud.

“You two are just selfish assholes!” Violet spat with venom and strode forward with James.

In that moment all of Justin and Joey’s bravery seemed to disappear and they frantically pushed each other out of the way as they tried to escape. They were fighting each other so much that a small pouch slipped out of Justin’s pocket without him even realizing it. “Team Delta won’t forget about this!” Justin yelled angrily then turned and disappeared down the road with Joey.

The three trainers were quiet for a few moments before Violet and James turned their attention to their Pokemon. Violet carefully checked Cubone’s injuries and took out a potion spray. Gently she began to spray the wounds and used some bandages to make sure no infection got into the injuries before they reached Prescott and could visit a PokeCenter. James frantically checked Riolu for injuries before tenderly holding the Pokemon in his arms.

“Thank you, for helping me fight them off,” James smiled softly at Violet.

Violet picked up Cubone who clutched onto her shirt. The blonde trainer looked over at James then glanced away. “It was no big deal. Someone had to stop those assholes,” Violet offered a small smile towards James then turned towards Brody who was sadly looking at the pokeballs which held the discarded Pokemon. “We should see if Prescott has a Pokemon sanctuary.”

Brody glanced up at Violet’s words and nodded. “I don’t know who would abandon their Pokemon like this.”

“Heartless people, that's who. I’ve seen it before,” Violet walked forward and stopped beside Brody. “They’ll be okay.”

That made a gentle smile appear on Brody’s lips. “Yeah, you’re right.”

“Thanks for watching out for Venonat too,” Violet offered a small smile her friend’s way.

“No problem.” Brody’s lips held the same smile until an idea crossed her mind. “Oh, James, would you like to journey with us to Prescott? It could be safer to have others with you in case Team Delta shows up again. Plus, it's always more fun to travel with company,”

James’ eyes grew large at Brody’s offer. He studied her eyes for a moment and saw she was truly genuine. Glancing over, he noticed Violet gave a small nod in agreement and that she was being genuine too. “Alright, I haven’t traveled with others in a while so I may not be the best company,” James readjusted his pack then hurried forward with Ditto and Riolu.

“That's okay. I tend to do the most talking anyway since Violet can get lost in her thoughts and be kinda standoffish, especially with new people. But practice makes perfect so speak up whenever you feel comfortable,” Brody smiled over at James before looking at Violet who was frowning slightly at Brody’s description of her and quickly glanced away.

James was silent, processing the kindness he had been offered while watching as Brody reassured Violet who shrugged her off but seemed to not have taken offense. It was clear these two were close friends and maybe, just maybe they could be his friends too. James looked at the road ahead. It could be wishful thinking but he wanted to believe otherwise. These two definitely made him want to believe.

[loubuggins]

Teach Me How to Play with BBRae! :))

Teach Me How To Play

It was a rare and wonderful occasion whenever the three young men had a chance to hang out without their female friends. The women of Titans Tower, though always well loved and respected, tended to add a sense of decorum that the trio of males were hoping for a break from. Dick had announced that Kori had fallen asleep early and Garfield followed it up by stating that his own girlfriend was spending the night finishing the book she’s had her nose buried in for the past two days. Given the news, it was their third friend, Victor, who had suggested an activity for the night. One that the boys haven’t had the pleasure in playing for a while.

“Alright gentlemen, ready to get your asses whipped?” The brawny, dark-skinned man jousted as he began to shuffle the playing cards at the kitchen table they had cleared.

“Yeah right, Tin Man! We all know who’s the C.A.H. champion!” The significantly smaller and younger green-skinned man said with a smug smirk as he gestured to himself.

The last man, well muscled like the buff man to his right, but about the same height and build as his friend to his left, snorted in amusement. “Only because your head is stuck in a gutter. Seriously, how does Raven put up with you?”

The elfish man sat back with a cocky smile that showed off his protruding right fang. He folded his arms behind his head and wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. “Where do you think I learned it from?”

Dick’s face twisted at the changeling’s implication, but Victor gave a loud and repulsed gagging noise.

“Y’all are nasty!” The cyborg cried as he finished his work with the cards and began passing them out.

“Says the guy who suggested we play Cards Against Humanity.” The green one teased as he accepted his cards and instantly began to inspect them. The corner of his lips twitched as his mind kicked into gear, already planning out which combinations of the cards to make.

But before the game could commence, his sensitive ears picked up the familiar sound of the common room doors sliding open and quiet footsteps passing through them. Had it not been for the doors, the newcomer would have definitely surprised them all. He had his back toward the entrance, but he knew the sound of little blue boots on the metal floor could only belong to one resident in their home. He instinctively sat up in his chair and hid the cards under his hands.

She walked right past the group of boys and headed straight to kitchen counter, her navy blue cloak billowing out behind her. Garfield’s emerald eyes glanced up at the clock on the wall. Judging by the time, she must have really been involved in that book of hers to have yet to change out of her uniform for the evening. He and Dick were already changed and in their comfy sleeping attire. Dick in his red button down shirt and matching pants, and he in an old t-shirt and baggy sweatpants. Victor was the only one who’s nighttime look was the same as his daytime look, being mostly made of robotic parts.

The woman at the counter paid no mind to them as she filled up a pot with water, then sat it on top of the heated stove. The boys behind her exchanged nervous glances as they attempted to act causal, while keeping the obscure playing cards out of the empath’s view.

“Hey there Mama, you finish with your book?”

Turning herself around to face him, she leaned on the edge of the counter and regarded him with a pointed stare. Out of habit, the shape-shifter threw up his mental barriers, but he could still feel her presence in his mind, pushing on the gate, demanding entrance in. That was the problem of living with an empath. She may not know why he feels the way he does, but she always knows what feelings are there, and right now, he was panicking on the inside. Even with his guard up, she was still powerful enough to know he was hiding something.

He knew the second her amethyst eyes narrowed that the secret was out.

“Yes I did, it was a good ending, despite being terribly clique.” She commented dryly as her suspicious stare flickered from his eyes to his hands. He tightened his grip on the cards instinctually, but silently cursed himself when he did. One would think having all the knowledge of the animal kingdom would have taught him not to react under a predator's gaze, but there’s not an animal alive that could ignore the scrutiny of this demoness.

“Well that’s, uh, nice.” He flashed her a toothy grin, as large and bright as he could muster. She may not have been able to smell the pungent scent of sour milk and vinegar that rolled of him in waves, but the smell of his own fear nauseated him. He knew he should not have tore his eyes off of her, but he had to steal a glance at the men sitting with him, pleading them to offer some assistance. His two so-called friends ducked their heads, avoiding his gaze and effectively leaving him hung out to dry. He of course had the most to lose if she figured out their little secret pass time, but that didn’t mean the two cowering men beside him were completly scott free. The least those two assholes could have done was help him out a little.

Fighting back the urge to growl at his teammates for abandoning him, he carried his gaze back onto the empath and her demeanor had not of changed in the slightest. His heart raced as he watched her lips part, preparing to speak, when the loud whistle that came from the pot behind her interrupted her thoughts. He jumped slightly at the sudden sound, but was relieved when she turned and tended to her brew.

He used the time she spent looking the other way to gather his bearings. He took deep, slow breaths and forced his fear and anxiety back into the recesses of his mind. His body visually relaxed and he felt his confidence build as he stared at the back of her head. He was no empath, but he could tell from her rigid posture and the slight change in her scent that she was thoroughly annoyed at the interruption. This knowledge made him smirk and only served to boost his confidence even more. He allowed his mental walls to lower just a tad, enough for his pride over the small victory to leak into the empath’s radar.

He and his friends continued to keep the cards hidden under their hands as she finished pouring herself a cup of scolding tea. She kept her back towards them as she clutched her forest green mug (a gift from her boyfriend) and held it up close to her face. The steam rolled off the burning liquid and rose to caress her pale cheeks. She slowly inhaled, then exhaled the warm minty scent of her beverage, the aroma calming her emotions and refocusing her mind.

Gar was certain they were in the clear when he watched her turn and begin to walk in the direction of the door, but in a shocking turn of events, the demoness brushed one of her hands across the back of his neck and claimed the vacant seat beside him. Completely caught off guard and still shivering from her touch, he had no time to react when she plucked a card buried under his ungloved hands.

Gar tried to lunge forward and rip the card from her grasp before she had the chance to read it, but she simply turned and held it just out of his reach. Her eyes flickered over the description written on the small black and white card, and her expression went from smug to genuinely curious. With an eyebrow raised, she looked back over to the changeling, who had given up his attempts to rescue the card and was now sitting back in his chair wearing a nervous expression.

“What is this?” She questioned, her voice laced with accusation.

Gar’s green cheeks became dusted in a rusty red blush. “A card?” He offered with a fake, toothy grin and a shrug of his shoulders.

Raven rolled her eyes at his attempt at a joke and barked back with a sarcastic quip of her own. “Really? I never would have guessed.” She casually handed the card back to its owner and let her scrutinizing gaze travel to the other two men at the table. They were being far too quiet, so the wicked sorcesses decided she should have some fun with them as well.

“What about you two?” She gestured over to them, but neither male would meet her stare. “Care to explain?”

Dick was the first to respond, though he still looked away as he spoke. “It’s just a stupid game, Raven.”

“Yeah lil’ sis, you wouldn’t like it.” Victor added, trying to act nonchalant about the whole thing.

Raven narrowed his eyes at his statement though. “Why would I not like it?” Her voice carried a hint of a challenge.

The half-robotic man finally met her burning gaze, but quickly shriveled under the pressure. He looked over to his so called “fearless leader,” and luckily the young man came to his aid.

“It’s a crude game, Raven. Centered around inappropriate or gross jokes that was all know you dislike.” He explained as he uncovered his deck of cards and laid them up on the table so that she could see them. She took a moment to read what each card said, and the boys watched her anxiously as her face lost all expression.

“See Rae, it's just a bunch of stupid guy jokes.” Gar gave an empty laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not your thing.”

Raven fell back into her chair and snapped her head over to her ridiculous boyfriend, who never did learn when to stop talking. “Not. My. Thing.” She repeated, her voice going low and her face scrunching into a scowl. “Teach me how to play.”

Her demand sent a shockwave through the group as each man looked back at her as if she had grown a second head. “Y-you wanna learn how to play?” Gar squeaked as he tried to recover from his surprise.

“Yes.” Raven nodded her head, her features morphing from annoyance to determination.

“But Raven,” it was Dick who spoke this time, “I thought you didn’t like this kind of humor.”

Her violet eyes shot over to the boy wonder. “I don’t, but I hate being told what I do or don’t like even more.” She let out a low growl at the end and her plum eyes flashed crimson for less than a heartbeat.

Her leader shivered and fidgeted in his seat. “Gar, explain the rules. Vic, deal her in.”

The demoness leaned back in her chair with a hint of smugness glowing from her face.

One hour later

“Sorry man, but I gotta go with Rave’s again.” The largest man of the group laughed so hard that tears were sliding down from his one good eye. He had one arm wrapped around his stomach as he kept himself from falling out of his chair.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gar threw up his hands in defeat and fell back into his chair with a slump.

“Yeah, I’m with Vic, that was a perfect combination Raven.” Dick agreed as he too was hunched over in a fit of laughter. “I mean come on Gar, ‘My life is ruled by a vicious cycle of demonic possession and daddy issue?’ How could she not win?”

Victor’s laughing died down and he added, “Yeah man, she even get bonus points for irony.”

“But that’s the thing! You only picked it, because of who she is! If I had played that it wouldn’t have been nearly as funny.” Gar waves his hands in the air to enthesis his point.

“Exactly!” The other males shouted back simultaneously.

The befuddled shapeshifter hit the back of his chair once again and crossed his arms over his chest. His pointy ears were laid back and his face held a comical pout. The woman sitting beside him had been looking all to pleased with herself at his expense. She gently rubbed her petite hand against the his rough skin of his arm and slowly dragged it up to his bicep. She leaned closer to him so that her breath warmed his neck and it took all his strength not to drop his sulky expression. Her breath was laced with the smell of mint leaves, but beneath it was her natural alluring scent of lilacs and the smoke of a campfire. Her unique concoction of smells made his legs weak and his stomach burn with need.

“Come now, Garfield, certainly you aren’t upset because you lost to your girlfriend.” She whispered in a sultry voice that ignited his skin in goosebumps. But her voice also held a challenge beneath the lust and when his sensitive ears picked up on the hidden meaning in her words, he took a defensive position.

“I’m not mad that you beat me,” He clarified, but she interrupted before he could continue.

“Well then there’s no other reason for you to mad.” She stated simply as she sat back and wrapped her hands around his arm. She tugged on the appendage while standing up. He fought back for a moment, but it was enough to make her stop and look down at him.

“I thought you said you weren’t mad.” Her voices raised slightly in almost a childish whine.

“I’m not!” He growled, which told her otherwise.

Sighing with impatience for the toddler her boyfriend had become, she stepped forward and leaned down over him, this time with her face hovering above his shoulder and her lips grazing the fold of his ears. “You taught me a new game tonight, now let me teach you one.”

Her whisper was so low, there was no way a human could hear it. Luckily, he was no mere human. His emerald eyes hardened to a darker hue as he pupils narrowed ever so slightly. His chest rombelled with a deep growl and his nails turned thin and sharp. His fangs glistened against the off green of his lips and she saw his tongue glide over them in a quick blur.

“Only if you let me win this time.” The guttural sound that came out of his mouth made something deep inside her stir with an odd mix of delight and anger.

“Do you really want me to just let you win?” She snarled back, but it was more playful than threatening.

The two lovers were too entranced in their own doings, that they had forgotten their audience. Victor leaned over to Dick and asked him in a hushed voice, “What do ya think she said to him?”

“I think it’s better if we don’t know.” The boy wonder whispered back. They were lucky to be ignored or they might have faced the couple’s wrath.

Said couple were now locked in a fierce staring contest, neither willing to submit to the other by braking the eye contact. Within a blink of an eye, the demoness spun around and made a dash for the door. The changeling was right on her heels as the door slide open and slide shut behind them.

@fluffbingo

[the-lady-of-thorns]

Bozja Losses

Rose sat on the wall behind the estate in Shirogane and watched as the sun sank into the watery horizon along the beach. The waves gently crept in over the sands on the beach as the water was illuminated in shades of dark orange and red that mixed with the inky blue of the water as the sun reflected the color it had painted the early autumn sky. The sands that had been so full of footprints from residents of the ward during the summer were barely disturbed save for the random couple taking a walk along the water’s edge. In the distance over the island where the ward’s shrine to the kami lay, the full moon could be seen slowly revealing her splendor as a bride would to her groom on her eternal bonding day. A soft breeze blew bits of the golden foliage from a nearby gingko tree from the estate next door along the shoreline as it came to rest on a cabana further down. 

Rose pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she adjusted herself on the stone wall that protected the estate’s residents from falling off the cliff’s edge. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as her violet waves were picked up in the breeze and gently blown around. As she looked out over the horizon, she buried the bottom half of her face against her knees. The long sleeve white sweater she wore slipped off her shoulder slightly as she closed her silvery gray eyes and felt the warmth of the tears streaming down her face; the product of her own frustration with her how her personal life was so uncertain compounded with the news that she had lost three of the new conjurers she had trained recently to the fighting on the Bozja front.

As she sat there lost in her own feelings of guilt and grief, she didn’t even register the familiar sound of wind aether shifting and blowing or the smell of mint that seemed to appear from thin air. As a pair of lean but toned arms wrapped around her torso, she felt their gentle squeeze and a head press against the back of hers. The sensation caused her to shudder more as she cried harder at the sound of a familiar male voice.

“I thought I might find you here. This sunset is really pretty, too pretty for such tears.”

 The male voice let go of Rose as she listened to the sound of wind aether being shifted. As she opened her eyes, she saw the delicate features of a male seeker with mint green hair as his purple coeurl-like orbs stared warmly back at her. He stood facing her as he was floating on a sparkling green confluence of wind aether so that he was eye level with her; his long green tail swaying softly as his arms were folded over his chest. The bottom of his black and white arcanist’s robes billowed slightly from the wind aether to reveal his baggy black pants and matching boots as he uncrossed his arms and reached out with his left hand to lift her face and wipe away the tears with his thumb. He smiled at her as he repeated the motion with his right hand and cupped her face to stare at her a moment before leaning forward and pressing his lips to her forehead gently. He then shifted the wind aether under him as he let go of her face and sat down on the wall next to her and wrapped his arms around her again.

“Much better,” he said with a gentle smile and his customary scoff. His tone then turned comforting as he gently squeezed Rose. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened, yeah? You did your duty and trained them to be able to go out there and save lives. It isn’t your fault that they all volunteered to go to the front and serve as field medics. You couldn’t have known that they would each end up in units in Bozja either. You inspired them with your passion and your example; honor their memory by being proud of what they did.”

Rose leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed softly as she shifted her body to make it easier to sit next to him as he kept his arms around her. “How did you find out?”

He pressed his cheek on top of her head and scoffed playfully. “I told you I’m pretty great, I know just about everything around here.” His let out a sigh after a moment and took a more serious tone. “Actually, Chrys saw the courier who delivered the news walking out of the back rooms and questioned him. I happened to walk into the estate as he was explaining it and came looking for you. I figured you might have just teleported out here to avoid anyone seeing you.”

Rose nodded against his shoulder and pulled away to look up at the seeker. “Vincent, they were all so young; nae one of them over the age of twenty-two summers. I feel like I failed them in their training because they all died within weeks of completing their training in Dravania. Those three were the ones I thought showed the most promise of the group that I trained. All of them were so hopeful, so excited to do their part to help defend Eorzea; now…. now I have to write to their families and break the news that they were killed for their dedication. Tis something I hoped I wouldn’t have to do again; I wrote too many of those letters during the Dragonsong War to families of brave warriors who fought and died for a cause that really didn’t exist. To see the recruits I trained die senselessly…”

Vincent reached up with his right and held Rose’s chin while he shook his head. “Rose stop; you of all people should know that they didn’t feel it was senseless. You didn’t feel that way when you were on patrol in Coerthas keeping your fellow soldiers alive; I know that for a fact. You don’t feel that way now when we go out on ventures and bring our colleagues back to put them back together when they get hurt. Those conjurers didn’t feel what they were doing was senseless; don’t dishonor their sacrifice that way because you’re doubting your efforts to teach them. Besides, look at the other four recruits that are still alive. They are just as passionate to serve even though they are in field hospitals away from the front so clearly you did something right.” He pulled away and gave her a frustrated sigh. “Do all Ishgardians behave like this or is it just the ones that served in the War? You put so much blame on yourself sometimes when it isn’t necessary; I don’t understand it.”

The half hyur/half elezen woman tucked her hair behind her rounded ear and blinked in shock at the reaction. “I…,” she started before letting out a sigh. “I’m sorry; you’re right. They died doing what they thought was right and I have nae right to be pitiful. I am proud of the work they did, even if I am sorry that they aren’t with us anymore. I just hope that they served as a beacon of hope for their compatriots. When I write to their families, I will be certain to express how proud I am to have had them under my charge as recruits and how honored I was to know them. They deserve to be remembered as they were; passionate and dedicated to protect those they served with and those they loved at home.” She stared at him warmly and gave him a weak smile. “Once again you have to set my head on straight; what would I do without my best friend to keep me in check I wonder.”

The seeker scoffed as he flipped his mint colored hair and closed his eyes. “I know, I’m pretty great.” He then cut his eyes at Rose and chuckled softly. “Hey, it isn’t like you haven’t seen me at my worst. Who was there to pull me out of my own funk after my relationship ended? Who saved my ass from that bounty hunter in Ul’dah that tried to split me like firewood? You can be a pain sometimes, but you’re there when it counts; that’s what matters. I can’t judge anyway; you’ve seen how I act. I can be asshole sometimes.”

Rose rolled her eyes and gently nudged him as she scoffed and gave him a playful smirk. “You can be an asshole, but only when you have to be. Any other time you’re just a big slut whose ego can’t fit in the ruins of the Stone Vigil.”

“Hey, I can’t help it that men and women flock to me,” he replied, feigning offense. “I’m actually quite picky about who I sleep with; and I have to be confident if I want to be Eorzea’s next great idol.” 

Rose deadpanned at him as he looked at her with his cocky grin before the pair started laughing together. The pair hugged each other warmly for a moment before pulling away to look at each other. As the sun began to give up the last of its light to the watery horizon, the stars began to reveal themselves as the moon revealed its full splendor. Vincent stood up on the wall and offered his hand to Rose to help her up. As she stood, he gripped her hand and jumped off the wall towards the estate grounds. 

“Come on, there isn’t a lot going on tonight and we’re both off duty tonight. Let’s go get some dinner in Kugane and do some shopping. We can hit up that one place we went to with the Mahi Mahi and get some cherry sake and soju.” The seeker smiled as he draped his arm over Rose’s shoulders and winked with a soft purr.

“That sounds really good actually,” Rose replied with a relaxed posture and smile. It was clear that Vincent had succeeded in pulling her out of her mood as she poked his side. “This time though, I’m nae playing wingman for you. Any cute girls you see…”

“Or guys,” he added.

“…Or guys,” she continued, “you’re going to have to get on your own. I’m just there to have fun, nae find a one-night stand or to help you find one.”

“But…. fiiiine. Have it your way; but I still say you need to just wear that cute dress you have with the tights and boots when we go out. You look really cute in it and…”

“And you like thigh action; I’m nae dumb you pervy kitty.” She laughed and walked with Vincent’s arm still draped on her shoulders. “Come on, let’s go catch the ferry.”

The seeker purred as he walked out of the gates of the estate with her towards the ferry without a word. After a few feet, he smirked at Rose as they walked down the road together. “You’re not wrong though.”     

[iamnesta]

A Court Of Witchcraft And Wizardry: Part I

The ACOTAR Hogwarts AU that nobody asked for.

A/N: This fic was totally unplanned for, but I randomly got a sudden burst of inspiration to write it, so here we are. I am aware that the title is stupid, but I honestly couldn’t think of anything else. I took some liberties with how to sort the characters, so no, they are not all in the same houses SJ Maas put them in. This is my first ACOTAR fic and my first AU fic! Exciting stuff! Please feel free to comment/leave constructive criticism. Enjoy!

Read on AO3

Summer had officially come to an end. It was time to return to school.

The Hogwarts Express sat idly at Platform 9¾, a steady stream of witches and wizards walking out of the brick barrier to join the raucous swarm of students dawdling beside the train. With ten minutes before departure, the Archeron sisters entered the fray. From across the way, a tousle-haired boy with violet eyes grinned and pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on.

Feyre, the youngest sister, abandoned her luggage and began elbowing her way through the crowd, launching herself into the arms of the grinning boy. “Rhys,” she breathed into the crook of his neck.

“Feyre darling,” he returned, pressing a kiss to her temple, “I missed you this summer.”

Pulling away, eyebrows pinched with concern, Feyre began, “I’m so sorry I couldn’t visit. My father–”

Rhys’s gaze fell to where his finger absently twirled a stray piece of her golden-brown hair. “Don’t apologize, Feyre,” he said softly, “You have nothing to apologize for. Not ever, not to me.”

There was a long pause. Then Feyre sighed, and reached up to kiss him gently. “I love you,” she murmured against his mouth. She felt his lips stretch into a smile.

“Feyre!”

The couple broke away, Rhys’s deep laugh vibrating through his chest as Feyre rolled her eyes. Behind them, the eldest Archeron sister watched with a scowl on her face. Above the clamor, Nesta shouted, “Get your hands off my sister, Rhysand!”

Sliding his hand down Feyre’s arm and lacing their fingers together, Rhys said, “It’s good to see some things never change.”

Feyre snorted. “Tell me about it.”

It was amazing, really, how Nesta managed to peer down her nose at Rhys when her head barely met his shoulder. Perhaps she had been taking lessons from Amren, who was technically the shortest of the group, though her personality made up for any lack in height. Regardless, Rhys felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him as Nesta turned her icy stare to him.

“So,” she sniffed, “You’re still here.”

“That I am,” Rhys said jovially, gesturing toward the train. “Shall we board?”

“Please,” Feyre muttered, quickly ascending the steps to escape the tension.

Elain, the middle sister who had been silent until this point, glanced toward Nesta. “Will you sit with us?”

Guilt flashed across Nesta’s features, the emotion gone before it could fully form. “I’m afraid not. As Head Girl, I’m required to go to the Prefects’ carriage,” she said softly.

“That’s a shame,” Rhys drawled. He would have looked like the epitome of boredom had his eyes not glittered with mischief. “I know Cassian is eager to see you again after so many months apart.”

Nesta did not deign to acknowledge Rhys’s comment. To Elain, she said, “I’ll see you in the Great Hall.” She then spun crisply on her heel and stalked onto the train.

Rhys sketched a small bow as a the train’s whistle sounded. “After you,” he said politely to the remaining sister.

With a grateful smile, Elain gathered her pleated skirt and climbed aboard.

Feyre was already deep in conversation with Mor by the time Rhys and Elain arrived, and Cassian’s thundering laughter spilled into the corridor at something Amren had said. A smirk played at Amren’s blood red lips, and she whispered something to Azriel, who sat half-immersed in shadows beside her. Azriel snorted, his gaze flicking to the newcomers.

Rhys plopped himself down beside Feyre, snaking an arm around her shoulders. Feyre leaned into his touch, but didn’t break her discussion with Mor. This left Elain standing somewhat awkwardly in the doorway, unsure of where to sit, until Azriel slid over and provided room for her. She offered him a timid half-smile, and delicately took her place.

It was only after everyone had settled that Cassian frowned. To no one in particular, he asked, “Where’s Nesta?”

“The Prefects’ carriage,” Rhys answered, “Apparently she’s Head Girl.”

Cassian’s brows rose in surprise. “Really?”

“Of course she is,” Amren scoffed. “She’s the smartest girl at Hogwarts.”

With a lazy grin, Cassian taunted, “Even smarter than you, All-Knowing One?”

“No,” Amren replied immediately, silver eyes glinting, “But I’m too humble to be Head Girl.”

“Clearly,” Cassian quipped.

“Well, she’s certainly smarter than you, Cass,” Azriel interjected.

Cassian relaxed into the back of the seat, clasping his hands behind his head and resting his right ankle on the opposing knee. “Oh, I don’t doubt that,” he said, unabashed. “But at least I haven’t got a stick up my ass.”

“You must be so jealous of this metaphorical stick,” Rhys observed, struggling to keep a straight face. Elain’s cheeks flushed a rich scarlet color and Azriel coughed. Even Mor and Feyre’s chatter came to a stop.

“Rhysand,” Mor scolded, her voice taking on a motherly tone.

Cassian’s neck burned red with embarrassment, but he schooled his features into a look of nonchalance. He opened his mouth to shoot back something exceptionally vulgar. Before he could get the first word out, however, the trolley lady arrived.

“Anything from the trolley, dears?” She trilled.

There was a whirlwind of exchanging candy for coins, and only when everyone was munching on Pumpkin Pasties did the topic of Quidditch arise, as it always did. It was impossible to avoid talking about the sport when two of the Team Captains were in the same room.

“All I’m saying,” Cassian said around a bite of Liquorice Wand, “Is that Gryffindor is going to kick your ass this year.”

Azriel shrugged, popping one of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans into his mouth. “I wouldn’t be so cocky, Cassian,” he advised, “I’ve got some new tactics up my sleeve.”

“Tactic only gets you so far when you have a shit team,” Cassian pointed out. “I’ve got Viv as seeker and Varian as keeper. My team is solid. Plus you’ve gotta get through me.”

Shaking his head, Azriel argued, “You can’t just take your players and throw them out on the field. It doesn’t matter how good they are if there’s no organized plan.”

Cassian rolled his eyes. “I have a plan. And good players. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Is this brute disturbing you guys? I’m allowed to assign detention now.” Nesta’s distinct, cold voice turned the air chilly. Cassian’s head snapped to her, his eyes instinctively running over her body like he was taking inventory, like he was making sure she wasn’t somehow hurt. He sat up straighter, fixing his slouched posture, which made his already massive body appear even larger.

“Hello, Nesta,” he said, his warm hazel gaze catching her frigid blue-gray one.

“You,” she said as a greeting. Silence fell over the compartment as Nesta stared at the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. Everyone waited with baited breath as if one of the two could explode at any second. But instead of making any scathing, sardonic comments, Nesta simply said, “We’ll be arriving soon. I suggest you change into your robes.”

Nesta finally looked away from Cassian, letting her focus slide over Elain and Azriel suspiciously before whirling around, cloaks billowing dramatically, Head Girl badge gleaming.

Entering the Great Hall was like returning home. There was a simultaneous sigh among the student body as the doors creaked open, the thousands of floating candles against a velvet sky coming into view. Feyre clutched Rhysand’s arm as they made their way to the Slytherin table, Mor hanging behind to exchange low words with Viviane’s sister.

Elain, now flanked by her friends Nuala and Cerridwen, broke off from the rest of the group and headed for the Hufflepuff table. Lucien, who was unhappily sat beside Tamlin at the Gryffindor table, attempted to catch Elain’s eye, but his efforts were of no avail.

At the Ravenclaw table Nesta and Amren were either gossiping or plotting something dreadful, and Azriel appeared extremely uncomfortable to be beside them. Cassian passed Nesta and leaned down to whisper something in her ear, at which point Nesta whipped around and tried to slap him, but Cassian darted away with a roaring laugh.

Thus another school year began.

Part Two

[siodymph]

Fiddauthor “Something Silly”

Jeez I’m really behind for this fan week! But hopefully this is better late than never right? Here’s my first take on doing something silly with Stanford and Fiddleford. (I don’t know why this was so hard for me lol they’re two of the biggest dorks in the world!)

And you can read this story under the cut or over on my AO3!

word count: 1587

Staff at hand, the Mage stepped forwards to face the trickster Wizard, the one who had kidnapped the princess and destroyed the kingdom. Years of traveling. Years of fighting. Years of scouring the world in search of the Princess Unitainabelle. If he could just generate enough power for his spell he could defeat him. It would all be over.

He could hear the Wizard cackling as the iron gate slammed shut behind him. He knew he was here.

“Do you really think you could defeat me?” The Wizard called out, his voice echoed through the dungeon mockingly. “Normally I’d crack open your skull and steal your intelligence! But I think eating your feeble brain would lower my IQ! So I’ll just stick to killing you!”

The Mage raised his staff, he was too wound-up to think of anything quippy to say back so he was going to go straight into his spell. That would be more epic than trying to respond to the Wizards taunts, right? Just say nothing and then destroy the Wizard like it was nothing? That’d be cool.

He whispered the incantation under his breath. Light shooting out from his staff. It was now or never. He pointed his staff at the Evil Annoying Probabilitor and-

4

He missed the Wizard’s face by several yards. His spell hit a nearby wall instead.

The Mage was dumbstruck and the Wizard just cackled louder.

“Oh hoo hoooo! Wow! I knew you were dumb but you’re really dumb!” Probabilitor said. Then raising his own staff he invoked a spell of his own and sent a bolt of green lightning down on the unlucky Mage.

~~~

“NO!”

Fiddleford laughed while Ford let his head fall on the table.

4… He only had to cast one final spell to end the game and he rolled a 4!

And Fiddleford could hardly catch his breath. Stanford had been so confident. So ready. Just to loose so horribly at the last second.

“Serves you right for getting so cocky!” Fiddleford said snorting.

Stanford lifted his head off the table at the dice in dismay. 1, 2 and 1. “So this is how it ends…” He said over dramatically and slumping back onto the table. “I can’t believe I did that! And now I’m dead…”

“Well you’re not dead yet, Stanford!”

Ford pulled his head up. “What? Probabilitor landed his third most powerful spell on me. Not even my king-grade dwarven armor could have withstood that!”

“No, no. I think you just barely survived it.” Fiddleford said. He readjusted his glasses and looked over his math from behind the Dungeon Master board. And as he looks back to Stanford, showing him his own math work, he gets back into character. “Mhmm. Yeah, you’re still alive. Weak. The fallen Mage looks up at the Wicked Wizard, Probabilitor the Annoying as he laughs… wickedly.”

He lets out a high-pitch cackle that makes Stanford grind his teeth. “What can I do?”

“The Mage is so tired… He can’t even lift himself up to stand again against Probabilitor. But his staff is still at hand. If he can find the will, he could cast just one more spell.”

Stanford frowned as he looked over his own quick-math. “Fiddleford are you sure? I used up nearly all of my magic to cast that last spell. I only have 12 points left!”

“A summoning spell is only 10 points.” Fiddleford offered.

“Call for help?” Stanford asked. “But Fiddleford, I have no one to summon. I left everyone in my party behind to go ahead on my own! No one would answer my call. I’m done for whether I use up my magic or not!”

Fiddleford just smirked as his looked at his story.

“What?” Ford asked. He hated it when Fiddleford knew something he didn’t and he’d just grin from behind his little Dungeon Master board. He could never tell if it was something good or bad heading his way when Fidds got like this.

Fiddleford said only two words that made Stanford want to tear out his hair.

“Arcbuckle Bumpterpuddingshire.”

Stanford groaned and put both hands to his hair. “The Orc raised my halflings?! Seriously?! He’s the only one!”

“You never officially took him off your party list. You only parted way temporarily in the Amethyst Forest of Violet Violence.” Fiddleford said beaming.

“Oh right. I remember now.” Ford said, he still felt a little bad for leaving the easy-going Orc back in the purple woods. He had been pretty strong and had a high level of stamina. But at the time Stanford had really wanted Kingsly, the dark-elf bandit with better espionage abilities but had a phobia of Halfling culture, in his party when they went to go ransack the ancient Amythyst castle. He lied to Kingsly about removing Arcbuckle from his party and while the two went to look for the castle he had Arcbuckle hide out in a nearby village. “And I never completely took him off my party list?”

“Nope. You told him you’d come back for him. And when you removed everyone from your party list outside of this dungeon you never mentioned his name. So he’s still there. And he’s been waiting for you to come back for him.”

Stanford pinched the bridge of his nose. “Wow. My Mage is an ass… I bet if I summon Arcbuckle now he’ll be pretty pissed at me.”

“Oh, definitely.” Fiddleford agreed, seeming to get happier the more Stanford was dismayed. “But what other choice do you have? You need help and he’s your final friend.”

He was right. Stanford had no choice left. He could either call Arcbuckle for help, or suffer alone and die.

So sighing in defeat, Stanford collected up his dice. “I use 10 magic points on a summoning spell. I call out to Arcbuckle Bumpterpuddingshire for help.”

It was a low-power spell so his dice easily made it work. And Fiddleford pulled out Arcbuckle’s abandoned piece as he narrated. And he set the little Orc next to Stanford’s little Mage.

“He answered your call. Slicing his way through time and space with his enchanted sword to find you here. Fallen and weak before Probabilitor. The evil Wizard who stole his adoptive family’s strawberries and blackberries. Leaving them in ruin. He is disappointed in his dear friend, the Mage, but that anger is nothing compared to the hellish inferno he feels towards Probabilitor the Annoying. What shall he do?”

“Arcbuckle hits the Wizard with everything he has.” Stanford says. “Whatever the most destructive attack his sword has.”

“And so. Arcbuckle charges at the wizard! ‘No one hurts my friends and no one hurts my family!’ he roared.” Fiddleford said, getting fully into character and giving Arcbuckle the deepest, raspiest voice he could muster before continuing to roll his dice behind the board. “And with one swing, he puts all his strength into his sword…”

“And…”

Fiddleford said nothing, just looking down at his dice and scribbling down some math to double check. Going purposefully slow, he picked up the Probabilitor model and the Orc piece.

“Oh for the love of- Stop trying to build up the dramatics and just say it!”

“Arcbuckle’s sword landed on Probabilitor the annoying’s neck. And with a sword so magical and an arm so mighty… Arcbuckle cut the Wizard’s head clean off and sent it flying into another dimension!”

Stanford got up from his chair shouting and scooping Fiddleford into a hug. “Yes! Oh thank god! He did it! We won!”

Fiddleford laughed as Stanford swung him around and set him back on the ground. “And so, Probabilitor has been defeated and the game is complete!”

“Excelsior!” Ford said, triumphantly. “Finally… that story felt like it went on forever.”

“It wasn’t that long actually. We just had to keep taking huge breaks in-between sessions.” Fiddleford said.

As Stanford calmed down, he frowned a little. “Does it have to end right there? You know, with Arc buckle killing Probabilitor… Cause my Mage character never got to apologize to him. And especially since he saved his life.”

Fiddleford, seeming to read his mind picked up the Mage and Orc pieces. “After the bloody, bloody magical carnage, Arcbuckle turned back to his friend, still on the brink of death on the ground. And…” He rolled his dice quickly and smiled at the result. “He used another teleportation spell to safely get his friend to a hospital back in his hometown.”

“And as he recovered, the Mage apologized to Arcbuckle.” Stanford continued. “He regretted the way he treated his friend and asked for forgiveness.”

“And he was easily forgiven. While Orc blood ran fiery through his veins he had been raised to be kind and merciful by his family. After all, the Mage was a dear friend to him so Arcbuckle let go of the grudge he once held against the Mage.” Fiddleford added on.

“And the Mage gave him the seeds! The seeds he bought while in the skeleton-demon marketplace. Their resistant to almost all forces of nature. My Mage gives Arcbuckle the seeds for his family’s farm! And-”

“I’ll need you to roll for dexterity.” Fiddleford said.

“Seriously? Technically, the games already over so-”

“Dexterity!”

Stanford sighed, rolling his dice. “Fine! I roll to see if I have enough dexterity to give my friend a bag of seeds. And…”

Stanford looks at his dice and Fiddleford slaps a hand over his mouth.

“… And my Mage drops the bag. The seeds spill out onto the hospital floor.”